ESA selects single rover concept for Mars mission
The European Space Agency (ESA) has settled on a concept for its next mission to Mars. A single robot rover will be sent to the Red Planet, along with another, stationary, science package. A forthcoming meeting at ESA's space and technology centre in the Netherlands will focus on what experiments the craft should take to Mars. The favoured concept - ExoMars - will lead a two-pronged mission. It will carry out geophysics, meteorology and environment studies. A primary objective will be to search for signs of past or present life. The plan is for the rover to leave Earth in June 2011, and to arrive at Mars two years later. The Mars lander is part of ESA's Aurora programme. The programme calls for Europe to explore the solar system and the Universe, to stimulate new technology, and to inspire the young people of Europe to take a greater interest in science and technology. The payload is likely to include a drill for penetrating the surface of the planet, and may also comprise a seismometer and instruments to collect data on UV light, radiation and magnetic fields. An agreement with the US is also possible, under which the US spacecraft orbiting Mars would relay data from the rover to Earth in return for a place for US instruments in ExoMars' payload.