ESA council gives go ahead for ExoMars

UK to play key role in exploring Mars for signs of life

Two Mars exploration missions, one of which will look for ancient signs of life, are a step closer after a decision by the European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) council yesterday (Thursday 17th December) to proceed with the implementation of the ExoMars programme. ExoMars is the flagship mission in ESA’s Aurora programme made up of a combined two-rover (space exploration vehicle) mission with NASA that will launch in 2018; an ESA-led orbiter mission will begin in 2016. The orbiter will carry a joint ESA/US payload to study the origin and distribution of methane and other trace gases in Mars’ atmosphere. This will assist in answering a key question on whether Mars’ methane is geological or biological in origin.

In early 2019 the ExoMars rover will navigate the surface for evidence of ancient environments that could once have supported life. The rover’s unique drill will for the first time retrieve samples from two metres below the surface of Mars. These will be examined for evidence of extinct life or even possibly existing life which has survived protected from the extremes of martian weather and temperature.

The UK is the lead country developing the ExoMars rover and also leads two of the nine instruments that the rover will carry. These include the panoramic camera which will relay images of Mars’ surface to Earth and the Life Marker Chip which will bring diagnostic medical technology to Mars to look for evidence of life. A further two instruments, the Raman Laser Spectrometer and the X-ray diffractometer, also have significant UK involvement.

In confirming ExoMars as part of the 2016 and 2018 joint missions, all those countries which had agreed to increase their subscription to ESA at the Council of Ministers in November 2008 did so, including the UK which is the second highest contributor to the mission.

David Southwood, Director of Science and Robotic Exploration at ESA said: "This marks an important moment for Europe in its steps towards space exploration on the world scale. We have been to the planets before, sure, but now we have a plan for exploration ahead to build our technical capability and explore Mars in a long-term partnership."

The UK confirmed its subscription of €165 million, and put in place arrangements with ESA, as recommended by STFC's Science Board in the recent prioritisation review, to extend the payment period to reduce the annual payment.

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