Design boost for European rover

The European Space Agency (Esa) is pushing forward with its design for a rover mission to send to Mars in 2013. ExoMars is the first Aurora Flagship mission to be assessed. Its aim is to further characterise the biological environment on Mars in preparation for robotic missions and then human exploration. Data from the mission will also provide invaluable input for broader studies of exobiology - the search for life on other planets.

• Primary Source

European Space Agency: Aurora Exploration Programme: ExoMars http://exploration.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=118

BBC News, 15.5.08: Evolution rolls on for Mars rover http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7397951.stm

BBC News, 6.2.12: ExoMars co-operation between Nasa and Esa near collapse http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16906740

EUObserver, 14.2.12: US bins joint EU project to visit Mars http://euobserver.com/19/115251

Wikipedia: ExoMars http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ExoMars

ESA: Exomars http://exploration.esa.int/mars/

---