Beagle found on Mars: European Space Agency says missing lander finally located

In this image provided by NASA an annotated image shows a bright feature interpreted as the United Kingdom's Beagle 2 Lander with solar arrays at least partially deployed on the surface of Mars. Beagle 2 was released by the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter but never heard from after its expected Dec. 25, 2003, landing. This and other images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have located the lander close to the center of its planned landing area. Two images taken months apart, with the sun at different angles, are merged in this view. A glint comes from a different part of the lander in one than in the other, interpreted as evidence of more than one deployed panel on the lander. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona/University of Leicester) (The Associated Press)

This image provided by NASA shows the Beagle 2 which was never heard from after its expected Dec. 25, 2003, landing. This and other images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have located the lander close to the center of its planned landing area. Two images taken months apart, with the sun at different angles, are merged in this view. A glint comes from a different part of the lander in one than in the other, interpreted as evidence of more than one deployed panel on the lander. (AP Photo/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona/University of Leicester) (The Associated Press)

This artist's rendering provided by the European Space Agency shows the Beagle-2 lander. The spacecraft went missing on Christmas Day, 2003, when it was supposed to land on Mars and start transmitting data back to Earth. On Friday, Jan. 16, 2015, more than 11 years later, ESA officials reported that it had been finally found — thanks to extensive detective work based on new photos taken by the high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. (AP Photo/ESA) (The Associated Press)

The European Space Agency says its Beagle-2 lander, which had been lost on Mars since 2003, has been found.

ESA said in a statement Friday that new photos taken by the high-resolution camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter show the lander partially deployed on the surface of the Red Planet.

Beagle-2 has not been heard of since it separated from its mother ship, but ESA says the images prove the entry, descent and landing sequence did work and that it successfully landed on Mars on Christmas Day in 2003.

The British-built Beagle-2 was launched on ESA's Mars Express orbiter and was supposed to look for life.

After the project failed, two U.S. spacecraft landed on Mars and sent back many pictures and extensive scientific data.