UK pumps €108m into Mars mission
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The UK has whipped out its cheque book and pumped €108m into the European Space Agency's 'Aurora' robotic space exploration programme which will culminate in a Mars exploration mission (ExoMars) due to touch down on the Red Planet in 2013. ExoMars will account for most of the cash, while €7.1m is earmarked for preparations for a future 'Mars Sample Return' mission.
Speaking at the ESA's ministerial shindig in Berlin this week, the UK's Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Sainsbury, declared: 'Aurora will build on last week's exciting Mars Express results which provide the first concrete evidence of significant amounts of water under the surface of Mars. As a major contributor, the UK will have a leading role in this programme which is set to improve our understanding of Mars and the Solar System.'
The ExoMars mission will involve a roving vehicle equipped with seismometer, drill and ground-penetrating radar designed to probe the Martian surface and beneath and assess the planet's suitability for future human exploration.
The UK has whipped out its cheque book and pumped €108m into the European Space Agency's 'Aurora' robotic space exploration programme which will culminate in a Mars exploration mission (ExoMars) due to touch down on the Red Planet in 2013. ExoMars will account for most of the cash, while €7.1m is earmarked for preparations for a future 'Mars Sample Return' mission.
Speaking at the ESA's ministerial shindig in Berlin this week, the UK's Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Sainsbury, declared: 'Aurora will build on last week's exciting Mars Express results which provide the first concrete evidence of significant amounts of water under the surface of Mars. As a major contributor, the UK will have a leading role in this programme which is set to improve our understanding of Mars and the Solar System.'
The ExoMars mission will involve a roving vehicle equipped with seismometer, drill and ground-penetrating radar designed to probe the Martian surface and beneath and assess the planet's suitability for future human exploration.
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