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Pioneering scientist Professor Colin Pillinger has died, the agency that represents him said.

The planetary scientist, who was the driving force behind Britain's Mars lander Beagle 2, suffered a brain haemorrhage at his home in Cambridge.

The professor, who was awarded the CBE in 2003, later died in hospital.

Professor Colin Pillinger, lead of the mission to land a British spacecraft on Mars called Beagle 2, has died at the age of 70

Born on 9 May 1943 in Kingswood, near Bristol, Pillinger went on to have a long career with both Nasa and Esa.

He graduated from Swansea University (then the University College of Swansea) with a PhD in Chemistry.

He began his career at Nasa, which included analysing lunar samples from the Apollo 11 mission.

In 1997, after joining the European Space Agency (Esa), he convinced them to also carry a lander: Beagle 2.

Beagle 2 was to be Britain's first lander on Mars, part of the European Space Agency's (Esa's) Mars Express mission.

Pillinger's wife, Judith Mary Hay, with whom he had two children, came up with the name, a reference to Charles Darwin's HMS Beagle.

Sadly, en route to Mars, Beagle 2 lost contact.

An asteroid in the belt between Mars and Jupiter is named after him, 15614 Pillinger.

He was awarded the CBE in in the 2003 Queen's Birthday Honours List.

Pillinger, who had a long career at both Nasa and Esa, leaves behind his wife and two children