After arguments concerning finance for Europe’s plan to send
two expeditions to Mars; plans are finally back on track and looking positive
for both missions. One is for a satellite to explore the surface topography by
camera and search for trace gases in the planet’s atmosphere. These tests will
be for methane mainly, but also other credible gases helpful for carbon life in
the Martian sky. This is due to launch in 2016.
There is also another plan for a land rover or mobile robot
upon the surface of Mars in 2018. Both the European missions have been named
ExoMars and the funding for this has now been agreed and the work schedule for
both launches begins in earnest and a new mood of enthusiasm. All believe that ExoMars
(joint missions) will happen. The contracts of agreement were signed on 17th
June 2013 at an agreed cost of 216 million Euros. The main contractor for this
work is; Thales Alenia Space – TAS.
The biggest chunk of these funds will be spent upon the
first satellite mission known as Trace Gas Orbiter – TGO. This totals 146
million Euros and will launch in January of 2016. After this, all the rest of
the schedule will be for the descent module of project TAS to be completed for the
second 2018 mission. This will prove Europe’s combined ability to land a
robotic functional vehicle on Mars
One of the main sources of help for ExoMars was the Russian
space agency (Roscosmos.) The Russians came to ExoMars aid because the U.S. had
to step down due to budgetary problems and other commitments within their space
agency NASA.
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