Question

read the paragraph, then choose the word that best completes the sentence. scientists hypothesized that beagle 2, a british spacecraft, either crashed into mars or got lost on its journey there. the loss of beagle 2 has been hard for britain. britain does not put much money into its space program. beagle 2 was a big, expensive project. scientists are not sure when they will be able to do anything like it again. however, that does not mean this is the end of the british space program. scientists hope they will be able to send another spacecraft to mars someday. sadly, though, that day may not come for many years. the mission was _. a profitable b essential c discouraging d canceled

Explanation:

The text describes the loss of Beagle 2, a costly British spacecraft mission with uncertain outcome. This has been difficult for Britain and may delay future similar missions, which is discouraging. The word 'discouraging' best captures the overall sentiment of the situation regarding the space - mission.

Answer:

C. discouraging