Red Leicester Day on 23 May marked the beginning of the "Year of Mars" and celebrated the launch of the city's National Space Centre's part in the forthcoming Beagle 2 mission to Mars.

The day saw the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Leicester, joined by a number of British space experts and VIP's, attend the official opening of the Lander Operation Control Centre by Professor Alan Wells, Director of Space Research at the University of Leicester.Chas Bishop, chief executive of National Space Centre, said: "Red Leicester Day marks the culmination of five year's design, negotiations and planning to open a live space mission to the public. It is the start of a potentially momentous year for British space exploration and the race to find evidence of life on Mars. We are all eagerly looking forward to playing our part in the Year of Mars." Details: www.spacecentre.co.uk / www.beagle.2.com or www.leisureopportunities.co.uk and type Beagle in the News search engine