Europe okays 1.4 bn euros for Mars rover, ISS: ESA

Paris : Europe approved an extra 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) yesterday to resuscitate a life-seeking Mars rover project and keep its place on the International Space Station (ISS), the European Space Agency said.

“All of this together is about 1.444 billion” euros, ESA director general Jan Woerner told a press conference webcast from Lucerne, Switzerland, at the close of a two-day meeting of the 22-country agency’s ministerial council, pointing to the ExoMars project and ISS.

ESA had sought an extra 400 million euros from its 22 member countries for the rover, and about a billion euros to prolong Europe’s participation in the US-led ISS. 

Ministers approved the funding just six weeks after a 230-million-euro test lander to lay the groundwork for an ExoMars rover, smashed into the Red Planet.

The paddling pool-sized lander dubbed Schiaparelli, which crashed on October 19, was Europe’s second failed attempt to reach the Red Planet’s surface.

It was designed to test atmospheric and landing gear for the planned rover, whose launch has already been delayed from 2018 to 2020 over funding concerns.

ESA had budgeted 1.5 billion euros for the ExoMars project, a joint project with Russia.

The programme also includes a Mars orbiter in place around our neighbouring planet since October.

The ministers ended long uncertainty over whether or not Europe would continue in the ISS science platform -- a joint project of Europe, Canada, the United States, Japan and Russia.

Europe was previously committed only until 2020. The other participants have already agreed to operate and finance the ISS to at least 2024.