The European Space Exploration Programme Aurora

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The European Space Exploration Programme
Aurora

• Marcello Coradini
• European Space Agency

• Padova 25 Ottobre 2006

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Planetary Exploration
2013 BEPICOLOMBO - Most diff.ed materials
2011 ExoMars Exobiology
2005 Venus Express Atmospheric evolution
2003 ROSETTA - Building Blocks
2003 MARS EXPRESS - Comparative Planetology
Exobiology
2002 SMART-1 - Technology Lunar Science
1997 CASSINI-HUYGENS - Outer Regions
Exobiology
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Introduction

• The ESA council, in November 2001, unanimously
  approved the Aurora Preparatory Programme for
  the robotic and human exploration of the Solar
  System.

• The Programme is now near the end of its
  preparatory phase. In the 2001-2005 time frame
  the total investment (incl. GSP, TRP etc.) is
  about 55 MEU

• Based on the results of these preparatory
  activities the Agency presented a Programme
  Proposal at the December 2005 Council at
  ministerial level.

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Current Status

• Aurora was approved unanimously, as optional
  programme, at Ministerial level with its two
  elements
• Core Element
• Exploration Robotic missions (ExoMars)
• ExoMars is currently supported by 14 Member
  States with funds in excess of the baseline
  financial envelope
• With respect to the countries already supporting
  the Preparatory Phase, Norway and Denmark have
  additionally subscribed the programme.

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European Space Exploration Programme selected
drivers

• Europeans in Space assure a European access to
  enabling technologies, foster the European
  participation in future space exploration
  endeavors.
• History and Fate of Life in the Universe
  understanding the origins and evolution of life
  on Earth and the search for extraterrestrial life
  in the Solar System
• Sustainable Human Life in Space the development
  of enabling technologies to support life and
  protect health, to access energy, manage
  environmental risks and exploit local resources
• Sharing the Space Adventure and Benefits
  communicating the excitement of human space
  flight and exploration and sharing the
  resulting benefits, with the general public

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Exploration Programme Strategy

• Recommended European approach
• Secure the best return on investment in the ISS
  Programme, as a test bed for future exploration,
  with a balanced and harmonised ISS utilisation
  and operations
• Establish a meaningful and sufficiently
  autonomous role for Europe in the international
  Space Exploration agenda, with a robust approach
  with regard to changes of the international
  context
• Maintain and enhance the European industrial,
  technological and scientific capabilities and
  experiences built-up during the ISS programme

• The overall strategy consists of
• continuation of the existing ISS Exploitation and
  ELIPS Programmes
• implementation of ExoMars, the first exploration
  mission
• preparation for future exploration missions
• preparation for a European participation in the
  joint development and operation of a reusable
  crew transportation system, Clipper, with Russia
  and possibly Japan

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Components of the Programme Proposal

• Core Programme to establish the ability for
  Europe to participate in meaningful ways to the
  future global exploration initiatives
• Exploration roadmaps, scenarios and associated
• architecture studies
• Mars Sample Return (MSR) preparation
• Preparation of general robotic and human
• exploration technology
• Awareness activities
• Exploration Missions to provide for the
  development, launch and operation of selected
  exploration missions, starting with ExoMars

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European Exploration Approach
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Core Programme

• Elaboration and updating of exploration scenarios
  and roadmaps with associated system and mission
  architecture studies to enable Europe to
  determine its interest and priorities for a
  meaningful participation in the global space
  exploration endeavor (ISS, Moon and Mars)
• Mars Sample Return (MSR) preparation with the
  development of enabling technologies, such as
  Planetary Protection, Sample Fetching Rover,
  Biological Containment System, Mars Ascent Vehicle

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Core Programme (cont.)

• General human and robotic exploration technology
  development and preparation for lunar
  exploration, with a view to increase the
  technology readiness level of certain building
  blocks, including Habitat Technologies, Robotic
  Crew Aids/Surface Robots, Inflatable Module
  Structural Technologies, Air Revitalization
  System Flight Demonstration (ARES) and Automated
  RendezVous and Docking Flight Demonstration
  (IBDM)
• Awareness activities, in association with the EU,
  to sustainably engage European citizens in space
  exploration and creating new dreams, inspiring
  young generations through the involvement of
  technical universities in the elaboration of
  future exploration missions

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Other Preparatory activities
Concordia Station A research station in
Antarctica, a Mars-like environment Isolated
for several months ideal to study psychological
and physiological aspect of confinement and
isolation as well as to apply Tele-medicine
solutions. The water recycling system has been
provided by ESA
MELISSA ESA has been leading for over 15 years
a pan-European technology development programme
to create a closed system recovering food, water
and oxygen from waste and C02.
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ExoMars Mission
First major European led mission to be launched
in 2011, combining enabling technology
development with major scientific investigations

• Main scientific objectives
• Search for traces of past and present life
• Characterise Martian geochemistry and water
  distribution
• Improve the knowledge on Martians environment
  and geophysics
• Identify surface hazards to future human missions
• Main technology objectives
• Entry, Descent and Landing of a large size
  payload
• Surface mobility (Rover) and access to the
  subsurface (Drill)
• Rover power generation using solar arrays
• Forward Planetary Protection

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The Scientific Payload
The ExoMars Scientific Instruments will be
accommodated on both the Rover and the
GEP

• Rover Pasteur Instruments
• up to 8 kg of Scientific Instruments
• On the basis of the scientific priorities, the
  required resources and the maturity of
  development, a model payload has been proposed at
  the 2nd Pasteur WG on 31 August. With a total
  mass of 12.5 kg this exceeds the present payload
  allocation

• GEP
• A static surface package capable to perform
  geo-physic and environmental measurements up to
  20 kg (including 5 Kg of Scientific Instruments)
• The following Pasteur instruments, dedicated to
  environmental measurements, are proposed for
  inclusion in the GEP Dust Suite, UV
  Spectrometer, Ionising Radiation and
  Meteorological Packages

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ExoMars Applications for Future Missions

• The next important mission will be an
  international Mars Sample Return effort.
• A possible European contribution could be an
  ExoMars-class rover, with its drill, to collect
  the samples, seal them, and pass them on to the
  Mars Ascent Vehicle
• This would grant Europe a long-term horizon to
  develop ExoMars-derived capabilities in
  autonomous rover systems
• Additionally, the Pasteur payload with its
  next-generation scientific instruments will
  contribute to future planetary robotic missions