Aurora (ESA)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Moon and Mars, the targets of Aurora's manned missions Moon and Mars, the targets of Aurora's manned missions
Moon and Mars, the targets of Aurora's manned missions

Aurora was the name of a number of programs run by the European Space Agency (ESA) to explore the solar system , particularly the planet Mars and the Earth's moon .

The ambitious Aurora project was published in the early 2000s with the ultimate goal of a manned mission to Mars in international cooperation after the year 2030. The only realized project from these plans is the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter by 2016 and probably the one for 2022 Template: future / in 2 yearsplanned ExoMars rover . The project name Aurora no longer exists at ESA and the former website was removed after April 2010 without any further explanation.

Project planning

Prototype of the ExoMars Rover at the 2015 Cambridge Science Festival
The orbiter probe of the Mars Trace Gas Mission (TGM) planned for 2016 as the first part of the ExoMars mission.

The Aurora project included the following steps:

  • 2007 Entry Vehicle Demonstrator (EVD) - Testing of high-speed re-entry into the earth's atmosphere
  • 2009 ExoMars - a Mars orbiter and a large Mars rover to search for traces of life
  • 2011–2014 Mars Sample Return (MSR) - return of samples from Mars to Earth
  • 2014 Human Mission Technology Demonstrator (s) - Testing the technologies for manned missions
  • 2018 Technology Precursor Mission - Testing new technologies such as aerobraking , aerocapture , electric propulsion and soft landing
  • 2024 Manned moon mission
  • 2026 Unmanned mission to Mars as a preliminary to the manned mission
  • 2030 cargo elements for the manned Mars mission
  • 2033 Manned mission to Mars

The ExoMars mission is the only project currently being implemented with a seven-year delay.

Attendees

The following countries were listed as participating countries (in alphabetical order):

Germany joined the program on July 12, 2005. Every five years the members should decide on the budget for the next steps. At the ESA conference in December 2005, 14 of the 17 member states only confirmed their participation in the ExoMars mission; all other ideas are currently lacking funding.

See also

Web links

swell

  1. ↑ ESA - Aurora Program ( Memento from April 11, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ The Aurora Programs. ESA, March 4, 2004, accessed March 9, 2016 .
  3. ^ Preliminary Planning for an International Mars Sample Return Mission (iMARS). ESA, June 1, 2008, accessed March 9, 2016 .
  4. ^ Germany joins the Aurora Exploration Program. ESA, July 18, 2005, accessed March 9, 2016 .