1. Colin Pillinger was a founding member of the Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute at Open University in Milton Keynes, he was the principal investigator for the British Beagle 2 Mars lander project, and worked on a group of Martian meteorites.
Colin Pillinger said of himself, "I was a disaster as a science student".
Colin Pillinger became a professor in interplanetary science at The Open University in 1991.
Colin Pillinger was involved in the Apollo space programme and ESA's Rosetta mission, and analysed the lunar samples brought back by Apollo 11.
Between 1996 and 2000, Colin Pillinger was made Gresham Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, a position once held by Sir Christopher Wren.
Colin Pillinger said of his appointment as professor of astronomy:.
Colin Pillinger is credited with inspiring many people to take an interest in space science, particularly in Britain.
Colin Pillinger was responsible for training and supporting a large number of experts in the field as well as helping to unite the space science and industrial communities in the UK.
Colin Pillinger worked as a conference and after-dinner speaker for the JLA agency.
Colin Pillinger was the principal investigator for Beagle 2 Mars lander project, part of European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express mission.
Colin Pillinger enlisted British rock band Blur to write a song to be Beagle 2s call sign back home.
Colin Pillinger persuaded the artist Damien Hirst to provide a spot painting to use in calibrating the spacecraft's camera.
Colin Pillinger appeared in Top Gear season 3 episode 7 and won a contest based on the best burnout.
Colin Pillinger was one of the guests talking about the planet Mars for In Our Time, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 11 January 2007.
Colin Pillinger owned a dairy farm, but towards the end of his life his illness prevented him from doing physical work on the farm.
Colin Pillinger died two days before his 71st birthday at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge on 7 May 2014, after having a brain haemorrhage and falling into a coma.