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European Space Agency

Press Release

Scientists eager to get on board ExoMars

26 May 2003
 
For centuries, mankind has wondered whether alien life exists on
another planet in our solar system. One of the most promising places
to discover signs of life beyond Earth is the planet Mars, and
scientists around the globe are clamouring for an opportunity to
participate in ExoMars, an exobiology mission which is being planned
as part of ESA's pioneering Aurora Programme. 
 
Earlier this year, ESA issued a call for ideas for the Pasteur
instrument payload that will be carried on the ExoMars rover. The
response has been remarkable, with some 580 investigators from 30
countries expressing the desire to participate in this exciting
mission.

"There has been a great response from the international scientific
community, with approximately 260 universities, research institutes
and companies wanting to take part," said Jorge Vago, ExoMars study
scientist. "Apart from the ESA Member States, we have had expressions
of interest from scientists in Australia, Brazil, China, Mexico,
Russia, the United States and much of Eastern Europe." 

"There are some very innovative proposals which involve 'leapfrog
jumps' in technology, including cameras that will outperform anything
previously flown and several instruments using biochips, an advanced
technology that has enormous potential for detecting organic
molecules." 

Over the next few months, the flood of proposals will be subjected to
a rigorous peer review in order to select the most appropriate
technologies to achieve the mission objectives. Working groups of
scientists from the teams that put forward the most promising
proposals will then be given the opportunity to define the
composition of the Pasteur payload that will eventually travel to
Mars. 


Background
 
ExoMars, the first Flagship mission in ESA's long-term Aurora
Programme, is currently scheduled for launch in 2009. 

The primary objective of ExoMars will be to search for signs of life,
past or present, on the Red Planet. Secondary objectives will be to
identify potential surface hazards to future human missions, to
determine the distribution of water on Mars and to measure the
chemical composition of the surface rocks.

These studies will be undertaken by a large (230 kg), high-mobility
rover equipped with a comprehensive suite of scientific instruments -
the Pasteur payload. The instrument mass of this payload is
anticipated to be around 30 kg.

The final decision on ExoMars will be taken at the ESA Ministerial
Council meeting in late 2004.

For further information contact:
Dr Jorge L. Vago
ExoMars Study Scientist
jorge.vago{at}esa.int

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