Should a future mission to Mars discover life on the planet’s surface there is a chance a laboratory in the Surrey countryside will have played a role.
The Mullard Space Science Laboratory, sited in a Victorian mansion in 30 acres (12 hectares) in the Surrey Hills, was founded in 1966, with help from the electronics company Mullard Ltd.
Part of University College London (UCL), it is the UK’s largest university-based space research group.
Its scientists are creating technology due to be sent on missions to Mars.