ESA oks Mars missions in 2016, 2018

William Atkins
Tuesday, 22 December 2009 19:00

Science - Space

Two missions within the ExoMars Programme have been approved by the Council of the European Space Agency (ESA). Both missions, the first orbiting about the planet and the second roving on the surface, will look for potential life on the planet.


The Exobiology on Mars mission (shortened commonly to ExoMars) is a European-based mission to Mars that will be developed by the ESA and the U.S. space agency NASA.

According to the December 20, 2009 BBC News article “Europe’s Mars missions get final go-ahead,” the primary mission of ExoMars is to search for life on the planet Mars.

The ExoMars missions will explore the environment of Mars, especially with respect to its astrobiological aspects (those pertaining to potential life on the planet or previous life in its history).

In addition, with the completion of these first two mission, the ExoMars Proramme has an aim of performing a sample return mission in the 2020s.

Council of Ministers (within the ESA), at a December 16-17, 2009 meeting held at ESA headquarters in Paris, France, has approved a starting budget of 850 million euros for the ExoMArs missions.

However, as reported by the BBC News, an additional 150 million euros will need to be added to the budget in the forthcoming years.

The member-states of the ESA have approved the new plan but still need to approve its budget.

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