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21 Jan 2003
                             Aurora Industry Day
                               6 February 2003
                     ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
                               (Newton Room)

The European Space Agency is organising the second Aurora Industry Day 
on 6 February 2003 at its ESTEC Centre in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. 
ESA is inviting Industry and Research Organisations interested in 
exploration related technologies and robotic exploration missions.

The ESA Council in Edinburgh approved the Aurora Programme on Robotic 
and Human Exploration of the Solar System in autumn of 2001. The 
objective of the programme is to formulate and implement a European 
long-term plan for the robotic and human exploration of the Solar 
System bodies, in particular those holding promise for traces of life.

The programme is in a three-year preparatory period. Its main output 
will be a Long-Term Plan and an updated programme proposal for 
2005-2009.

The long-term plan describes the objectives and contents of the full
programme, which shall culminate in the human exploration of Mars in
2025-30. To reach this end goal, the programme foresees some major
milestones:

   * Human mission to Mars (2025 -2030)
   * Robotic outpost / possible human mission to Moon (2020 - 2025)
   * Decision to go ahead with a human mission (2015)
   * Mars Sample Return missions (20011-2017)

Work is already ongoing with industry to define a scenario for human
exploration. It starts with a series of trade-offs, which will help to
identify the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

Through these trades Europe will form an opinion as to what a 
desirable approach to the human exploration of Mars can be . Out of 
this work we will identify which are the elements where the ESA 
developments should be focussed. This shall provide us with a 
development roadmap starting form the ISS and its use as an R&D tool 
through the following steps. Clearly flexibility and the possibility 
of re-use of these systems in different scenarios will be a key 
parameter for the choices to be made. As it is believed that human 
exploration can only be done internationally, our ideas and priorities 
will be introduced into the discussions between the space faring 
nations, which are interested in human exploration also.

Within the framework of the Long Term Plan a sequence of robotic 
missions is planned such that the know how and the capabilities 
necessary for a first human mission are gradually build up. An updated 
programme proposal is being prepared for the following five-year 
period of the programme in which the first missions and technologies 
will be realised. Pre-Phase A studies have been carried out for an 
exobiology mission to Mars and a Mars sample return mission. Two 
smaller technological missions are also under study: an Earth re-entry 
capsule demonstrator mission, especially in support of the sample 
return and a Mars aerocapture demonstrator mission, to enable later 
missions of increasing mass.

In parallel to the human scenario and the robotic mission studies,
technology work is undertaken. It builds on the technological skills
available in Europe and Canada, preparing on the one hand the 
capabilities needed in the long term for the human exploration 
missions and on the other hand supporting the development of the 
short-term robotic in situ astro/exobiology missions. The necessary 
technologies to enable such capabilities need to be developed and 
demonstrated.

In view of the planned tender action for the mission studies and the
foreseen further technology activities within this programme, the 
Agency would like to inform industry on the status of the programme 
and describe the planned tender actions and the way they support the 
preparation of an updated Programme Proposal for the first full 
five-year period of the Aurora Programme from 2005 to 2009.

Preliminary Agenda

 10:30   Welcome and Introduction

 10:45   Aurora Programme Overview

 11:00   Status of activities on the Long Term Plan

 11:30   Status of Robotic Mission definition

 12:30   Status of Technology activities

 13:00   Lunch Break

 14:00   plans for the mission studies tender action

 14:30   plans for further tender action on technologies

 14:45   Discussion

 15:00   End

Registration and Hotel Reservation:

Registration Form: Word, PDF
Hotel Reservation Form: Word, PDF

For further information please contact:

Bruno.gardini{at}esa.int
Dietrich.vennemann{at}esa.int
Alain.pradier{at}esa.int
Franco.ongaro{at}esa.int

http://www.estec.esa.nl/conferences/aurora2003/index.html

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