Science and Space

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Europe's new mission to Mars

A European Space Agency mission to Mars would leave Earth in June 2011 and arrive at the Red Planet in June 2013.

The 500-million-euro mobile laboratory would "sniff" the air for signs of biology and listen to the ground for evidence of Marsquakes.

The likely final mission will emerge and evolve from concepts that are already on the table and have been debated for some time.

Although the final architecture of the mission will not become clear for several months, there are certain "must haves" scientists have said should be built in to any lander - and these go to technologies that Europe feels will complement any instrumentation the American plan to send on their future rovers. The must haves include:

Esa’s last landing attempt, Beagle 2, went missing without a trace in 2003.

posted by: kyawoo at 20:21 | link | comments |
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