The European Space Exploration Programme “Aurora”: status and outlook
- Paper number
IAC-06-A5.2.01
- Author
Mr. Piero Messina, European Space Agency/Headquarters, France
- Year
2006
- Abstract
After a few but intense years of preparatory work, the Aurora Space Exploration Programme was finally approved by the European Ministers gathered in Berlin in December 2005. The Programme, and especially its robotic element ExoMars, was enthusiastically supported by almost all ESA Member States and Canada. Fourteen countries have subscribed to the Programme’s two elements: the Core Programme and the Robotic Mission one, today ExoMars. The Aurora Programme’s goal remains to prepare Europe for a robust and strategic participation in the global effort of exploring our Solar System, and especially the moon and Mars through automatic and eventually human missions. The Programme presents itself as a fine balance between development of specific missions in the medium term and definition of future missions and capabilities. The Core Programme, within which one priority has been set by Participating States on the preparatory work for a Mars Sample Return Mission, is the framework where future missions will be prepared through a series of technology development activities, system and architecture studies as well as the definition of a set of precursor missions. Awareness raising as well as roadmap definition are also part of the Core programme activities. The ExoMars mission is the first robotic mission being developed within Aurora. The large support that the ESA proposal has attracted among Member States will allow the detailed definition phase to continue and leave room to study a potential enhancement to the current baseline. The mission is slated for launch in 2011 and will deploy on the Mars surface a Rover with an exobiology payload and a static geo-physical payload. The paper will present the current status and future perspectives of the Programme and outline the approach for the consolidation of a European long-term strategy for space exploration.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-A5.2.01.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.