NASA, ESA To Collaborate On Future Mars Missions
Posted on: Monday, 9 November 2009, 12:45 CST
NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have signed a letter of intent that will combine their Mars programs for the greater goal of reaching the Red Planet, BBC News reported.
Scientists and engineers will begin the joint planning of Mars missions, starting with a European-led orbiter in 2016, and surface rovers in 2018, and perhaps even a network of landers in 2018.
Both programs share a mission to return Mars’ rock and soils to Earth labs.
NASA administrator Charles Bolden and ESA director-general Jean-Jacques Dordain, the heads of the agencies, signed the documents in Washington DC.
After several months of discussion, the Mars Joint Exploration Initiative (MEJI) has agreed upon several key elements involving covering scope, division of responsibility and financing. The letter of intent puts the initiative on a more formal footing.
Both the U.S. and European programs have agreed that they can achieve more together scientifically on Mars if they combine their resources.
With both Mars programs dealing with increased financial pressures, the shared approach means the exploration schedule of a mission every two years can still be feasible.
The ESA's member states have already pledged over $1 Billion towards a Red Planet venture.
However, some extra funding is needed and which European nations might provide it, will have to be established at a council meeting of the agency in mid-December. But the subscription opportunity will officially stay open until the end of the year.
Professor David Southwood, ESA's director of science and robotics, told BBC News the important thing is that the member states have bought into the ideas.
“I'm not expecting any shocks,” he added.
Southwood and NASA’s Dr. Ed Weiler put together the joint initiative that would encompass the following launch opportunities:
- 2016: A European-led orbiter to study trace gases, including methane, in Mars' atmosphere. The mission would also put a static meteorological station on the surface. Critically, Europe would handle the entry, descent and landing (EDL) of this station - a capability it has yet to demonstrate.
- 2018: European and American rovers would be dispatched to Mars. The US would do the EDL.
- 2020: "Under consideration" is a network of landers focused on geophysics and the environment.
NASA would provide the launch rockets in 2016 and 2018 and the 2016 meteorological station would be smaller than the recent U.S. Phoenix lander. Europe will try to land it during what is expected to be the dust storm season on Mars.
However, these storms can sometimes envelop the entire planet and change the characteristics of the atmosphere, making EDL far trickier.
Southwood said it will be a challenge, but they think they know how to do it.
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Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports
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