The event highlighted the leading scientific and industrial role the UK is playing in Europe's flagship exploration programme Aurora, coordinated in the UK by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) including the ExoMars rover planned for launch in 2013.

In addition, Britain's world-class technology and capability in Earth observation will be consolidated by the Natural Environment Research Council's (NERC) proposed National Centre for Earth Observation, due to open in 2008. Earth observation satellites are essential tools for understanding the environments in which we live. Without satellites, scientists would know far less about important global changes like sea level rise, ozone depletion, atmospheric pollution and climate change.

The European Space Agency's latest contract for the next development stage of the ExoMars rover, Phase B1 and worth BP 2.56 million [Euros 3.8 million], has been awarded to Astrium in the UK.

Dr Mike Healy, Director of Earth observation, navigation and science at Astrium said: "We welcome the reaffirmation of the UK's support through STFC for the ExoMars mission and the commitment of Europe to return to Mars. The latest decision now enables a clear focus for the development of the project up to its planned launch in 2013. We now have a mission that promises to deliver world-class science, provided through its suite of cutting-edge analytical instruments that constitute the Pasteur payload."

"This latest step forward for the UK space industry is complemented perfectly by the latest announcements and developments in technology and expertise in Earth observation -- which is playing an increasingly crucial role in helping us understand and address climate change," continued Mike Healy.

UK scientists and engineers received a new investment of almost BP 2 million [circa Euros 2.96M] from STFC for ongoing research and development of instrumentation and technologies for the ExoMars mission.

Professor Keith Mason, STFC Chief Executive and Chair of the British National Space Centre [BNSC] Board said, "This latest investment in ExoMars R and D builds on the initial funding [BP 1.7M] announced at this time last year and will enable UK engineers and scientists to bring their technologies to the final stage of readiness prior to building flight instruments".

Several leading UK space industrial companies including SEA and SciSys are involved in the Aurora ExoMars mission [see Notes to Editors].

STFC also announced the second round of its Aurora Fellowship scheme. The cross-disciplinary scheme is designed to enhance the UK's capabilities in space science research [planetology and astrobiology] by developing the careers of promising young researchers in order to better position the UK to fully exploit both ESA's Aurora and science programme. The first 3 Aurora Fellows take up their positions in October 2007.

Remarking on the Fellowship scheme Professor Mason said, "The UK's ability to exploit national involvement throughout the life-cycle of the Aurora programme depends on the health and vibrancy of the UK's space science community. This is a strategic investment in our future".

Professor Alan O'Neil, Reading University and Director of NERC's proposed National Centre for Earth Observation said: "There's no doubt that we face urgent challenges of climate change and environmental change. We need to understand what is happening and why it's happening. We are the custodians of Planet Earth and we need to put in place systems with which to manage it for the future, and Earth observation has a crucial role to play in those systems."

Astrium is leading the design and development of the rover vehicle that will be landed on the surface of Mars and will carry the Pasteur payload that will search for signs of past and present life. Since the award of the contract, Astrium has been working to optimise the configuration of the rover to meet its stringent goals. It is employing some of the leading experts from across Europe and Canada to assist in this difficult task. It has also created a prototype rover "Bridget" to perform feasibility studies to understand and evaluate design options.

The project faces challenges in the future, not least the need to meet the 2013 launch date. Before it is launched, the vehicle must be manufactured in a biologically clean condition in order to avoid contamination of its ultra sensitive experiments with microbial spores originating on Earth. When it reaches Mars, the rover will be faced with largely unknown terrain to traverse and will depend on its on-board autonomous navigation system to define safe paths as it crosses rock-strewn landscapes and fields of deep dust.

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Related Links
ExoMars at ESA
Aurora in UK
SEA
SciSys
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Astrium
Science and Technology Facilities Council
Natural Environment Resources Council
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