ExoMars
Mars may appear arid and lifeless but it is the most Earth-like planet in the Solar System and the most likely to have supported life at some time in its history.
Artist impression of the ExoMars Rover.
Credit: ESA
The science objectives of the ExoMars mission are:
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To search for signs of present life on Mars
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To investigate the water/geochemical environment
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To study martian atmospheric trace gases and their sources
The mission has two major elements; the first an orbiter to be launched in 2016. This will study the origin and distribution of methane and other trace gases in the atmosphere. The orbiter will serve as a high performance data-relay satellite for subsequent missions.
The second element is the 2018 mission, which will land the ExoMars rover. The rover will carry out experiments analysing soil samples from depths of up to two metres, where the chances of finding organic compounds that indicate past or present life are greatest.
At 165M€ the UK is the second largest European contributor to this programme and leads the development of the ExoMars vehicle.
