Colin Pillinger dies

Standard Toaster

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27322166

BBC News wrote:

British planetary scientist Colin Pillinger, best known for his 2003 attempt to land a spacecraft on Mars, has died aged 70, his family have said.
Prof Pillinger was at his home in Cambridge when he suffered a brain haemorrhage a fell into a deep coma.
His family said he later died at Addenbrooke's Hospital without regaining consciousness.
His death was "devastating and unbelievable", they said in a statement.
The space scientist built a probe to search for Martian life, naming it Beagle 2 after Charles Darwin's HMS Beagle.
It was the first time an individual researcher had sent their own vessel into space.
Prof Pillinger was married to Judith with whom he had two children, Shusanah and Nicolas

Really sad, he seemed like a absolutely lovely man. RIP

mike65

Yep, and dare I say pretty much fulfilled the public perception of British boffins doing stuff Heath Robinson style on a budget in sheds while cultivating facial hair.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/may/08/beagle-2-scientist-colin-pillinger-dies