The UK is to invest £5 million ($9 million) in Mars exploration, of which £3.5 million will be pumped into the European Aurora preparatory exploration programme.
The remaining £1.5 million will be used for either UK national preparatory activities for Aurora or for additional contributions to the European Space Agency (ESA).
ESA's Aurora programme will initially develop two Arrow missions for technology demonstrators.
Scheduled for launch in 2011 and 2013 respectively, the Arrow missions will comprise an Earth atmospheric re-entry vehicle to simulate a high- speed return from space and into the atmosphere, and a Mars "aerocapture" demonstrator, which will be used to validate the technology needed for braking into orbit around a planet relying solely on friction against its atmosphere, reducing the need for propellants.
TIM FURNISS / LONDON
Source: Flight International
