June 13th 06, 02:27 AM
http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/Aurora3.asp
Aurora - UK Prepares for a Return to Mars
PPARC
June 12, 2006
On Monday 12 June 2006, PPARC announced an investment of 1.7 million
pounds in
R&D to enable UK scientists and engineers to develop key
instrumentation
and technologies for the European Space Agency's
(ESA) ExoMars mission. ExoMars, the first mission in ESA's Aurora
programme of planetary exploration and slated for launch in 2011, will
explore the Red Planet with a suite of sophisticated instruments and
seek clues to the existence of past or present life.
ExoMars will explore the Martian surface with a mobile rover and a
stationary science module. ExoMars will:
* search for traces of past and present life at, and near, the
Martian surface
* characterise Martian geochemistry and water distribution at
various locations
* increase knowledge of the Mars environment and geophysics
* identify potential hazards before landing other robotic
spacecraft
- or, in the longer term, humans
PPARCs investment is focussed on instruments and technology in which
the
UK has a proven and recognised track record, building on the heritage
from Beagle 2 technology and missions such as Mars Express and Huygens.
The 9 funding awards will develop areas which the UK considers to be
critical, enabling academia and industry to develop flight-ready
technology in time for the ExoMars mission.
The awards are for:
* the Rover to explore the surface
* Life Marker Chip to search for organic materials
* Panoramic Camera to map the planet in 3D
* X-ray Diffractometer to study the geology of Mars
* Microseismometer to search for Marsquakes
* The Atmospheric Experiment Package to develop the wind sensor
element
* UV-VIS spectrometer to look at the radiation that reaches Mars
* Entry, Descent and Landing systems technology to safely deliver
the spacecraft to the surface
* Fluid Inertial Simulation to model parachute behaviour on Mars
More details on each of these and wider UK work is available in the
accompanying information pack
<http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/exomarswork.pdf>.
Prof Keith Mason, PPARC's Chief Executive, said "Mars Express has, and
still is, delivering outstanding science from orbit around the Red
Planet. It has revealed some amazing facts about Mars and even more
amazing images but we have unfinished business on the surface. To
really
understand the mysteries of Mars we need ground-truth data and ExoMars
will deliver that with the rover and base station".
Prof Mason added, "The UK is already the second largest financial
contributor to the Aurora programme in Europe confirmation that we
intend to be a major player. This latest PPARC funding will position
our
scientists and engineers to win leading roles in instruments and
technology in the first mission, ExoMars".
Contacts
* Franco Bonacina >
ESA Spokesperson and Head of Media Relations Division
Tel: +33 1 5369 7713
Fax: +33 1 5369 7690
* Peter Barratt >
PPARC Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)1793 442 025
Mobile: 07879 602 899
* Julia Maddock >
PPARC Press Office
Tel: 01793 442 094
Mobile: 07901 514 975
Aurora - UK Prepares for a Return to Mars
PPARC
June 12, 2006
On Monday 12 June 2006, PPARC announced an investment of 1.7 million
pounds in
R&D to enable UK scientists and engineers to develop key
instrumentation
and technologies for the European Space Agency's
(ESA) ExoMars mission. ExoMars, the first mission in ESA's Aurora
programme of planetary exploration and slated for launch in 2011, will
explore the Red Planet with a suite of sophisticated instruments and
seek clues to the existence of past or present life.
ExoMars will explore the Martian surface with a mobile rover and a
stationary science module. ExoMars will:
* search for traces of past and present life at, and near, the
Martian surface
* characterise Martian geochemistry and water distribution at
various locations
* increase knowledge of the Mars environment and geophysics
* identify potential hazards before landing other robotic
spacecraft
- or, in the longer term, humans
PPARCs investment is focussed on instruments and technology in which
the
UK has a proven and recognised track record, building on the heritage
from Beagle 2 technology and missions such as Mars Express and Huygens.
The 9 funding awards will develop areas which the UK considers to be
critical, enabling academia and industry to develop flight-ready
technology in time for the ExoMars mission.
The awards are for:
* the Rover to explore the surface
* Life Marker Chip to search for organic materials
* Panoramic Camera to map the planet in 3D
* X-ray Diffractometer to study the geology of Mars
* Microseismometer to search for Marsquakes
* The Atmospheric Experiment Package to develop the wind sensor
element
* UV-VIS spectrometer to look at the radiation that reaches Mars
* Entry, Descent and Landing systems technology to safely deliver
the spacecraft to the surface
* Fluid Inertial Simulation to model parachute behaviour on Mars
More details on each of these and wider UK work is available in the
accompanying information pack
<http://www.pparc.ac.uk/Nw/exomarswork.pdf>.
Prof Keith Mason, PPARC's Chief Executive, said "Mars Express has, and
still is, delivering outstanding science from orbit around the Red
Planet. It has revealed some amazing facts about Mars and even more
amazing images but we have unfinished business on the surface. To
really
understand the mysteries of Mars we need ground-truth data and ExoMars
will deliver that with the rover and base station".
Prof Mason added, "The UK is already the second largest financial
contributor to the Aurora programme in Europe confirmation that we
intend to be a major player. This latest PPARC funding will position
our
scientists and engineers to win leading roles in instruments and
technology in the first mission, ExoMars".
Contacts
* Franco Bonacina >
ESA Spokesperson and Head of Media Relations Division
Tel: +33 1 5369 7713
Fax: +33 1 5369 7690
* Peter Barratt >
PPARC Press Office
Tel: +44 (0)1793 442 025
Mobile: 07879 602 899
* Julia Maddock >
PPARC Press Office
Tel: 01793 442 094
Mobile: 07901 514 975