CNES Gives Green Light To Multitude Of Exploration Missions

SPACE TRAVEL

Illustration of the LISA Pathfinder spacecraft that, when launched, will observe gravitational waves.

Paris, France (SPX) Dec 13, 2004
CNES announced on December 3 that it will be strongly involved in four major space exploration missions, whose development will begin this year and which will be launched between 2008 and 2012.

First, the Bepi Colombo mission to Mercury and the LISA Pathfinder mission, aimed to demonstrate several innovative technologies for gravitational waves observation, will be developed in cooperation with ESA.

Second, CNES confirmed its participation to the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL-09), a mission led by NASA, whose goal is to send a 600-kilograms rover to Mars, with a long life duration and coverage capability.

The Mars samples analyzed in situ by the rover are considered as a high priority by French planetology specialists. Finally, CNES has restored to life the Picard project, selected in 1998 but which had been temporally frozen.

Picard mission will study solar activity, especially solar diameter and irradiance evolutions in order to achieve a twofold goal: better understanding of solar physics, and of its influence on Earth climate.

Development costs will be approximately 30 millions euros for both the Bepi-Colombo and MSL-09 missions (2005-2010 period), 17 millions euros for Picard (2004-2008 period), and 1.8 million euros for the LISA Pathfinder (2005-2007 period).

SPACE TRAVEL

Travelling To Mars In Your Dreams?

Paris, France (ESA) Dec 10, 2004
Can you imagine spending eight weeks in bed? ESA is looking for female volunteers who are prepared to do just that for a study taking place in Toulouse, France, from the end of February next year.

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