[meteorite-list] Russia, Europe to Sign ExoMars Accord By Year's End

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:11:52 -0700 (PDT)
Message-ID: <201204101511.q3AFBqVb018164_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1204/09exomars/

Russia, Europe to sign ExoMars accord by year's end
BY STEPHEN CLARK
SPACEFLIGHT NOW
April 9, 2012

Russia told European Space Agency officials last week it will partner
with Europe on the ExoMars orbiter and rover missions after NASA dropped
out of the project in February due to budgetary concerns, according to
the Russian space agency.

The leaders of the space agencies - Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin
and ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain - met in Moscow on Friday
to discuss the joint Mars missions, which are due to launch in 2016 and
2018. ESA calls the 2016 and 2018 missions ExoMars.

ESA began courting Russia as a full partner in the ExoMars project last
year as NASA's funding commitment wavered before the U.S. space agency
pulled out of the mission in February.

According to a statement by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency,
officials agreed the exploration of Mars "represents a joint scientific
interest" for both agencies.

Roscosmos and ESA will sign a formal accord on the ExoMars project by
the end of 2012, according to a communique issued by the Russian space
agency.

Russia will provide two Proton launchers to dispatch the ExoMars orbiter
and rover on two flights in 2016 and 2018. Thales Alenia Space is the
prime contractor for the 2016 orbiter, which will carry detectors to
measure methane and other trace gases in the Mars atmosphere.

A European entry, descent and landing demonstrator will fly to Mars with
the 2016 orbiter.

A rover developed by Astrium Satellites in the United Kingdom will
launch two years later in 2018. A Russian-built entry, descent and
landing package will shepherd the rover to the red planet's surface.

Before the agency retreated from the program, NASA was on the hook for
both ExoMars launches using Atlas 5 rockets. NASA was also providing
research instruments and the rover's landing system, an elaborate
apparatus based on the Mars Science Laboratory's sky crane architecture.

ESA's ruling council approved continued funding of the ExoMars program
in March, ensuring the orbiter mission stays on schedule for launch in
January 2016.

Officials at ESA's next ministerial meeting, scheduled for November,
will attempt to sort through an ExoMars funding shortfall.

ESA's member states have subscribed to 850 million euros, or $1.1
billion, in funding commitments for ExoMars. The redrawn ExoMars
missions with Russia would cost ESA about 1.2 billion euros, or nearly
$1.6 billion.

European officials expect to secure the extra funding before signing
formal agreements with Russia.
Received on Tue 10 Apr 2012 11:11:52 AM PDT