About Aurora
The discovery that life on Earth can survive under extreme conditions has rekindled thoughts about the existence of life elsewhere in the Universe. Aurora is the European framework for involvement in the exploration of the Solar System, focusing on Mars and the Moon.
'Marswalk' training.
Credit: ESA / IPMB
It is an optional ESA programme. The Aurora programme is currently comprises two themes:
-
specific missions - the first of these is
ExoMars.
Further missions are being planned developing capabilities to enable a
Mars Sample Return
mission to take place in the next twenty years;
-
a programme to develop technologies required for future missions.
The UK Space Agency is responsible for the UK subscription to
ESA
as well as a national programme.
The UK Aurora programme
The objective of the
national programme
is to maximise the benefits arising from participation in the European programme. The programme comprises:
-
a technology programme, CREST (Collaborative Research in Exploration Systems and Technology. This is targeted support to industrial and academic partnerships to develop technologies that are important for exploration but also have potential to be used for terrestrial applications;
-
a research community programme to bring on promising young researchers and promote cross-disciplinary links, maximising the UK’s ability to exploit the science data;
-
a science exploitation programme;
-
a knowledge exchange programme to inject the technology from Aurora into the wider community;
-
an outreach programme in the first instance to inform people about Mars exploration.
