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Paris, 24 March 2003
Press Release
Nx 18-2003

Pasteur: Payload Opportunities to Search for Life on Mars

Are we alone, or is there life beyond Earth? Has life ever existed on
Mars? The European Space Agency (ESA) is now offering scientists a
rare opportunity to answer these fundamental questions that have
intrigued mankind for centuries.

In order to determine whether life ever evolved on Mars, ESA intends
to launch an exobiology mission, known as ExoMars, to the Red Planet
in 2009. As part of ESA's long-term Aurora programme to prepare for
future human missions, ExoMars will deploy a high-mobility rover on
the Martian surface.

The key to the success of this scientific quest will be the rover's
Pasteur payload, a comprehensive suite of instruments that will
characterise the Martian biological environment. In order to be able
to meet the 2009 launch opportunity, the Agency is already starting
to define the experiments that will make up this payload.

Accordingly, the Aurora Programme Office has recently released a
"call for ideas" from the scientific community for the ExoMars
mission. This call for ideas is the first step in the process seeking
to obtain the highest quality research for ExoMars and its Pasteur
payload.  It is also designed to foster international cooperation
among multidisciplinary science teams and to avoid duplication of
projects.

"I very much hope that, as in the past, we can count on a strong
contribution from the scientific community to the definition of this
exciting mission," said Jorge Vago, ExoMars Study Scientist.

The ExoMars - Pasteur payload opportunity is open to investigators
from all countries. However, each proposal's team coordinator must be
based in one of the ESA member states. No proposal will be accepted
unless it includes scientific organisations from at least three
European countries in the team behind it.

Scientists responding to this call for ideas are requested to follow
the guidelines provided on the ExoMars - Pasteur website (see below).
Initial expressions of interest must be received by 28 March 2003.
The proposals themselves are due by 14 May 2003.

Background

As its name suggests, the ExoMars mission is expected to provide
significant new insights into the surface environment of the Red
Planet, with particular emphasis on exobiology, the search for signs
of Martian life, past or present.

The configuration of the ExoMars mission is still being defined. As
currently envisaged, the ExoMars orbiter will release a descent
module and solar-powered rover onto the planet's pristine surface.
Equipped with a drill and sampling system, this autonomous roving
vehicle will spend many months exploring the hostile terrain and
analysing soil from sites that might be hospitable to primitive
Martian life forms. The Aurora Board of Participants recently
authorised a phase A study of ExoMars that will also look into the
possibility of combining the French Netlander mission with the
European effort. 

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

Full details of this call for ideas are available at:
www.spaceflight.esa.int/users/pasteur

Further information on the Aurora Programme and the ExoMars mission
in particular can be obtained at:
http://www.esa.int/export/esaMI/Aurora/

For further information please contact:

Dr Jorge Vago
ExoMars Study Scientist 
Tel:  +31(0) 71.565.5211,  
Fax:  +31(0)71.565.3661  
Email: Jorge.Vago{at}esa.int

ESA Media Relations Service
Tel: +33(0)1.53.69.7155
Fax: +33(0)1.53.69.7690

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