Expert to brave final frontier

Space expert Dr Alan Moorhouse at the mission control centre

A space engineer from Cleethorpes is gearing up to put the Beagle2 spacecraft into orbit around Mars.

Dr Alan Moorhouse is a senior engineer at the European Space Agency, based near Frankfurt, Germany.

And he is one of the controllers of the un-manned Mars Express spacecraft, made up of an orbiter and the British-built landing craft called the Beagle2.

In the run-up to Christmas Day scientists at the centre, including Dr Moorhouse, will be putting the probe into orbit around the Red Planet.

Uncovering secrets

He said if the mission is a success then experts will start to uncover Mars' secrets.

"The main goal of the mission is to survey for life and water which could support life.

"The atmosphere in the control room is tense...but relaxed. We've done as much preparation as possible."

And he revealed some of the complex nature of the project telling BBC Radio Humberside: "It takes eight minutes to send a command to the orbiter and eight minutes to get the signal back."

Dr Moorhouse said he and his colleagues at the Frankfurt control base are confident both the missions of the orbiter and the Beagle2 lander will be successful.