The British Beagle 2 spacecraft landed successfully on Mars' surface, David Parker, the chief executive of the UK Space Agency has confirmed.
The probe was thought lost after attempting a Christmas Day landing on the planet in 2003.
The University of Leicester's Professor Mark Sims has said Beagle 2 was "way ahead of its time" when it was launched and expressed his sadness that the missing probe was not found until after its creator's death.
As experts revealed today that they believe they have finally found the Beagle 2, which has been missing since 2003, Professor Sims explained how scientists found the lost spacecraft nearly 12 years after it went missing:
For 12 years Beagle 2 was feared lost but today it has been hailed after images showed the probe successfully landed on Mars in 2003.
Out of this world: Five fun facts about Beagle 2
Evidence suggests the missing British Beagle 2 spacecraft, reportedly built in a Professor's shed, did land successfully on Mars in 2003.