MDA Secures Role On Preparations For European Mars Rover Mission
Richmond BC (SPX) Jul 18, 2007 MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd, a provider of essential information solutions, announced today that it has been awarded a contract for 1M euro with EADS Astrium, to provide an advanced technology solution for ExoMars, the upcoming Mars mission of the European Space Agency. MDA will design a robotic chassis for the ExoMars rover, and provide a prototype solution for testing at ESA in 2008. Dr. Paul Cooper, vice president and general manager of MDA's Brampton operations stated, "The rover is a high profile element within ESA's ExoMars mission, and this contract reaffirms the strategic relevance of our advanced technology solutions to space exploration missions around the world. "This phase of the contract continues the work previously carried out by MDA on the earlier design phases of the ExoMars mission."
earlier related report The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Deputy Administrator Shana Dale and Canadian Space Agency President Laurier Boisvert signed the agreement that defines the terms of the agencies' cooperation on the telescope. According to the agreement, NASA will be responsible for the overall management and operations of the mission and will build the spacecraft, the telescope and the platform that will host the instruments. The Canadian Space Agency will provide the fine guidance sensor instrument, used for locating and maintaining a fixed pointing on a guide star as well as assisting in the operation of the telescope and related facilities. "Canada's collaboration on the James Webb Space Telescope strengthens our outstanding and longstanding partnership with NASA and positions Canadian science and technology in the forefront of space exploration," said Boisvert. Although optimized to operate over a different range of wavelengths, the James Webb Space Telescope is considered to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Its launch is targeted for 2013, with the telescope designed to operate for at least five years.
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Hunt For Life On Mars Goes Underground In New NASA Mission Washington (AFP) Jul 17, 2007 The hunt for evidence of life on Mars will go underground next year when a NASA probe digs beneath the surface of the red planet's arctic northern plains, US scientists revealed Monday. In a departure from previous missions -- which have seen robotic vehicles explore the planet's hills and craters -- NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander will instead dig into Martian soil for conditions favorable to past or present life. |
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