physicsworld.com News & Analysis Mars mission in doubt as US pulls out

The future of a joint US and Euro- has to pass through Congress, which ESA pean mission to Mars is uncertain is unlikely to be easy in an election after NASA told the European Space year. However, regardless of what Agency (ESA) that it is pulling out of budget emerges, severe cutbacks will the 7850m ExoMars venture. The US have to be made. “Having just been withdrawal comes following the US involved in a near-death experience president’s budget request, released for the JWST, I am very sympathetic last month, which sees NASA’s $1.5bn to the feelings of my scientist col- planetary-science budget slashed by leagues who are dealing with the can- 21%, with Mars exploration receiving cellation of a key Mars mission,” says $360m – a 39% cut from 2012 levels. astronomer Garth Illingworth, who is ESA is now in discussion with the chair of the JSWT advisory commit- Russian space agency Roscosmos tee. “I am particularly concerned that about ExoMars’s future. these cuts are affecting our interna- ExoMars, which is supposed to tional partners significantly.” launch in 2018, consists of two parts. Meanwhile, a report by the The idea is to launch a Trace Gas National Research Council recom- Orbiter in 2016 to orbit Mars and map mends the US makes a £20m contrib- the red planet for sources of methane ution to ESA’s Euclid dark-energy and other gases. Two years later, an in 2011 to $659m in 2014. It is this hike Down and out mission. Euclid, to be launched in ExoMars rover, weighing almost that has resulted in the need for cuts Budget constraints 2019, will map the large-scale distrib- 300 kg, would be launched to search elsewhere in the programme and the mean that NASA ution of dark matter and characterize for possible signs of life on Mars, char- cancelling of NASA’s involvement will pull out of the the properties of dark energy. The acterize the water and geochemical in ExoMars. NASA administrator 7850m ExoMars committee says that the US should distribution of the surface, and iden- Charles Bolden said in a statement mission, which was still go ahead with building the Wide- tify any hazards for future manned that the agency would instead set to launch its first Field Infrared Survey Telescope, to be missions to the planet. “develop an integrated strategy to stage in 2016. launched in 2020, which would search While NASA’s overall 2013 budget ensure that the next steps for Mars for dark energy as well as search for is similar to 2012 – roughly $17.7bn – exploration will support science as exoplanets. “NASA involvement in the agency still needs to pay for its well as human-exploration goals, and Euclid is, I hope, a start to renewed flagship James Webb Space Telescope potentially take advantage of the international collaborations,” adds (JWST) mission, the costs of which 2018–2020 exploration window”. Illingworth. are expected to balloon from $476.8m The president’s budget request still Michael Banks Russia Plans unveiled to reincarnate Phobos-Grunt

Russia has announced it may launch a time to prepare for the new mission, while reached [with ESA], we will repeat the second mission to Mars’s moon Phobos the 2016 window coincides with Russia’s attempt [to launch a Phobos mission],”

after its original Phobos-Grunt mission Roscosmos planned lunar projects. says Roscosmos boss Vladimir Popovkin. ended in disaster in January when Zelenyi says the new mission will be a Meanwhile, following intense scientists lost contact with the craft and pared-down version of Phobos-Grunt, speculation about why Phobos-Grunt it crashed back down to Earth. Lev retaining the control systems from the failed, an official report has concluded Zelenyi, director of the Institute of Space original design but with less that a computer malfunction, possibly Research at the Russian Academy of instrumentation and simpler rovers for caused by a burst of cosmic radiation or Sciences, which was behind the Phobos- exploring the surface of Phobos. However, defective microchips, was to blame. Grunt mission, told a press conference in Second time lucky? he cautions that the plans for the new Phobos-Grunt’s failure also affected Moscow that a new spacecraft, named Russia may launch a mission are still in the very early stages. China, which had its own Yinghuo-1 provisionally as Phobos-Grunt 2, could be successor to the “Nothing has been decided yet,” he told orbiter aboard the craft. Wu Ji, director- launched in 2018. failed Phobos-Grunt Physics World. Indeed, Roscosmos, the general of the National Space Science The timing of the new mission is mission to Mars’ Russian federal space agency, has been Centre of the Chinese Academy of designed to take advantage of a launch moon Phobos. in discussions with the European Space Sciences, told China Daily last month that window when Mars will be particularly Agency (ESA) since late last year about the country has had to rethink its plans close to the Earth. Such windows occur participating in the ExoMars mission – for Mars exploration, with a new mission roughly every 26 months, but the next another mission to the red planet that is in 2016 at the earliest. window in 2013 does not leave enough set for 2016 (see above). “If no deal is Simon Perks

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