Enthusiastic support could enhance ESA's ExoMars mission

摘要

Europe's ambitious mission to land a rover on Mars could be expanded to include an orbiting communications relay probe also carrying extra science instruments because so far the 14 European governments funding the ExoMars craft - part of ESA's Aurora exploration programme - have pledged more funds than expected, leaving surplus cash. ExoMars currently has a budget of $600 million but the interested ESA member states have committed an extra $50 million and, according to Bruno Gardini, ESA manager of the Aurora programme, it leaves open the option of adding a purpose-built science orbiter, which would mean ESA could use it as a communications relay station instead of relying on a NASA satellite.