ESA Meeting Rejects Lunar Lander Mission, Approves ExoMars Funding

According to AFP, the meeting of the European Space Agency in Naples, Italy, has rejected funding for a proposed mission to the lunar South Pole, but has approved continued ESA participation in the ExoMars mission, now with Russia.

European lunar lander would have tested precision landing technology

According to the page on the lunar lander proposal at the ESA website, the European lunar lander would have touched down at the moon's South Pole in 2018. It would have tested precision landing techniques and conducted experiments. The project would have set the stage for European participation in further exploration of the moon, including manned landings. However, the ESA has determined that the project is of a lower priority and is currently not affordable.

ExoMars has been approved

The AFP story also reports that the ESA meeting has approved further funding for the ExoMars missions, to consist of an orbiter and a lander in 2016 and a rover in 2018. The project has been ongoing since 2005 and thus far 400 million Euros has been spent on it.

American withdraw from ExoMars placed the project in doubt

The Washington Post reported in February that abrupt budget cuts in the planetary science account at NASA imposed by the Obama administration had caused the American withdraw from participation in the two missions. NASA was to contribute $1.4 billion to the missions, which was hoped to lead to a Mars sample return.

Russia steps in

According to the AFP account, the ESA turned to Russia for help. The draft deal between the ESA and Russia would involve the latter contributing Proton rockets for the two missions. In return the Russians would get to choose some of the instruments on both the 2016 orbiter and the 2018 rover.

ExoMars

According to the ESA, ExoMars will consist of two missions. First, an orbiter and a lander would be launched to Mars on a Russian Proton rocket in 2016. While the orbiter examines the Martian atmosphere for traces of gases like methane, an indicator of life, the lander will touch down on the Martian surface and will examine the environment around its landing site. Another Russian Proton would launch a rover in 2018. The rover would carry a drill and other instruments that would carry out exobiology and geochemical experiments on Martian samples. When NASA was a participant, the rover would have been used to gather samples for an eventual sample return mission. It is unclear whether that aspect is still on the table.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times, and The Weekly Standard.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/esa-meeting-rejects-lunar-lander-mission-approves-exomars-183700161.html

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