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January 08, 2007

Next Stops for Mars

NASA has selected several mission proposals for future missions to Mars. They include missions where NASA is the primary driver, as well as participation by NASA on the ESA's ExoMars project.

Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, or MAVEN: The mission would provide first-of-its-kind measurements and address key questions about Mars climate and habitability and improve understanding of dynamic processes in the upper Martian atmosphere and ionosphere. The principal investigator is Bruce Jakosky, University of Colorado, Boulder. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., will provide project management.

The Great Escape mission: The mission would directly determine the basic processes in Martian atmospheric evolution by measuring the structure and dynamics of the upper atmosphere. In addition, potentially biogenic atmospheric constituents such as methane would be measured. The principal investigator is Alan Stern, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado. Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, will provide project management.

And several others.

Posted by FredKiesche in ESA / ExoMars / Exploration / Geology / Life on Mars / Project Aurora / Scout Missions / Water on Mars | Comments (0) | Link | Home

December 21, 2005

A Year on "Mars"

A mixed crew of Italian and French researchers will be spending a year in the ESA's Concordia Station, located in Antarctica.

Posted by FredKiesche in ESA / Mars on Earth / Project Aurora | Comments (0) | Link | Home

December 06, 2005

European Space

While final details are unclear, it looks like financial grumblings may have scuttled (for now, at least) the ESA's participation in Russia's proposed Cliper shuttle. The United Kingdom will be playing a role in the ESA's ExoMars mission.

Posted by FredKiesche in ESA / ExoMars / Project Aurora / Russia / United Kingdom | Comments (0) | Link | Home

November 30, 2005

ESA's Space Efforts

Here's a document that outlines the plans for the European Space Agency for the immediate and near-term future. Goals include ExoMars (a robotic exobiology mission to Mars), participation the Russian Cliper shuttle, the medium Vega launcher and more.

Posted by FredKiesche in ESA / ExoMars / Project Aurora / Russia / United Kingdom | Comments (0) | Link | Home

August 29, 2005

ExoMars

While final details haven't shaken out, it looks like the ESA's ExoMars rover has won out over a more elaborate BeagleNet rover mission. Also lost appears to be another chance for the science suite from the Beagle-2 mission to make it to Mars.

Posted by FredKiesche in Beagle-2 / ESA / ExoMars / Life on Mars / Project Aurora / United Kingdom | Comments (0) | Link | Home

May 31, 2005

ESA to Mars Alone?

The ESA appears to have concluded that the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) are too much of a roadblock to see international cooperation on their planned Mars rover...so they will go it alone.

The real question is whether the planned rover will receive sufficient (if any) funding. As with space programs around the world, the budget pinch is being felt.

Posted by FredKiesche in ESA / Japan / Project Aurora / Russia | Comments (0) | Link | Home

March 02, 2005

Habitat Design Workshop

The ESA is holding a workshop to talk about how to operate on the surface of the Moon and Mars as part of Project Aurora.

Posted by FredKiesche in Project Aurora | Comments (0) | Link | Home

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