Paris - The ExoMars programme will see two missions travel to
Mars in a joint ESA–NASA undertaking. In 2016 an ESA-led mission
will consist of an orbiter to study methane and trace gases in
the Martian atmosphere and an Entry, Descent and Landing
Demonstrator Module (EDM) to test key technologies for future
missions. In 2018 a NASA-led mission will carry two rovers to
Mars, one from NASA and the other from ESA. The rovers will
travel together in the same aeroshell to land at the same
destination on Mars. Astrium is developing the first European
Mars rover and it will demonstrate flight and in-situ
qualification of key exploration enabling technologies to
support the European ambitions for future robotic and human
exploration missions. The main technology demonstration
objectives are: •Entry, Descent and Landing (EDL) of a large
payload on the surface of Mars, •surface mobility using a rover
with a mobility range of several kilometres, •access to sub-
surface using a drill to acquire samples at depths of down t