The AuroraProgrammeEurope’s Framework for Space Exploration

By 2001, ESA had identified robotic andhuman exploration of the Solar System asone of the major undertakings for Europe

and its international partners in the 21stcentury. Spacefaring nations, with Europe at theforefront, have successfully explored otherplanets through unmanned missions, and theInternational Space Station is a permanentpresence in low Earth orbit. Creating theframework that brings together the robotic andhuman elements of space activities for furtherexploration of the Solar System is the nextlogical step.

The Aurora Programme Preparatory PhaseThe scientific, academic and industrialcommunities were polled on thepreferred destinations and objectives ofa potential long-term explorationprogramme. Mars scored first, followedby other destinations that included theMoon. The advice from the differentcommunities was an important elementin proposing a new European programme– the Aurora Space ExplorationProgramme – as a building block in abroader international effort for therobotic and human exploration of Mars,with the Moon as an important steppingstone.

Piero MessinaHME Liaison Office, Directorate for HumanSpaceflight, Microgravity and ExplorationProgrammes, ESA Headquarters, Paris, France

Bruno GardiniAurora Exploration Programme Manager,Directorate for Human Spaceflight,Microgravity and Exploration Programmes,ESA/ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Daniel SacotteDirector of Human Spaceflight, Microgravityand Exploration Programmes, ESA/ESTEC,Noordwijk, The Netherlands

Simona Di Pippo Chair, HME Programme Board; Director,Exploration of the Universe, Italian SpaceAgency (ASI)

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The Preparatory Phase lasted fromthe beginning of 2002 to December2005, with the number of participatingcountries growing along with thefunding. From the initial €14 million, theenvelope reached more than €48 millionfrom 12 States (Austria, Belgium,Canada, France, Germany, Italy, TheNetherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,Switzerland and the UK). Italy was themain contributor.

In January 2004, the US Presidentannounced a new space policy directingNASA to implement the Vision forSpace Exploration. This was a turningpoint in global space policy, creating arenewed interest in space explorationamong spacefaring nations. Anassessment on how far this new policywould affect Europe’s explorationprogramme was conducted in cooperationwith European space agencies, industryand other stakeholders gathered in theSpace Exploration Policy AssessmentGroup. At the same time, a thoroughrevision of the ExoMars mission and itsscientific objectives was performed withthe scientific community and thenational delegations.

The long-term and visionary nature ofspace exploration requires well-rootedsupport by society at large. This is why adialogue with stakeholders and withsectors not usually involved in space wasconducted throughout 2005. The aimwas to identify the main elements thatshould drive Europe’s sustainedinvolvement in space exploration withits international partners. At the end ofthe consultations, four main driverswere identified:

Europeans in space: allowing Europe tobe a significant partner in explorationby assuring access to enablingtechnologies, the presence of Europeanculture in future space endeavours, theenhancement of European integration,and the creation of European pridearound an inspiring and ambitiouscooperative project;

Habitability and life beyond Earth:increasing our knowledge of life, itsevolution and its environment;

Sustainable human life in space: thedevelopment of enabling technologiesto support life and protect health, toaccess energy, manage environmentalrisks and exploit local resources;

Sharing the space adventure and benefits:communicating the excitement ofhuman spaceflight and exploration,and sharing the benefits with thegeneral public.

On the basis of all the above, togetherwith indications of support fromMember States, an ambitious yetrealistic proposal was prepared for theAurora Space Exploration Programmeand submitted to the ESA CouncilMeeting at Ministerial Level in Berlin(D) on 5–6 December 2005.

The Approved Aurora ProgrammeEuropean Ministers confirmed, at thehighest political level, the willingness ofEurope to play a significant role inexploring and understanding the SolarSystem, in particular Mars and theMoon.

The approved Aurora SpaceExploration Programme consists of twomain elements: the Core Programmeand Robotic Missions. The first isdefining architectures and scenarios,and preparing for missions and theirenabling technologies; the other isdeveloping actual missions.

Core ProgrammeThe Core Programme aims to allowEurope to participate meaningfully inthe future exploration endeavours,although further decisions at laterMinisterial Councils will be required.Based on a building-block approach, theactivities will ensure the robustness ofEurope’s contribution, and include:

– exploration roadmaps, scenarios andarchitecture studies. Updating thescenarios and roadmaps elaboratedduring the previous PreparatoryPhase, based on continuous consulta-tions with the stakeholders andleading to system studies and missionarchitectures for human and robotic

missions to the Moon and Mars.These activities will enable Europe todetermine its objectives, interests andpriorities by identifying furthermissions and elements for realisation;

– development of enabling technologiesfor Mars Sample Return (MSR). Thegoal of bringing back the first sampleof Martian soil is a majortechnological challenge – and a greatopportunity for the scientific world. Ithas important implications forunderstanding the planets, studyingthe origin of the Solar System, and

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searching for life on Mars. MSR isalso a major milestone for explorationbecause its mission profile is suitablefor a subsequent human visit to Mars;

– development of general enablingtechnologies for exploration, flightdemonstrations of selected enablingcapabilities, and the preparation ofpotential European contributions tolunar exploration;

– awareness activities, in associationwith the European Union, to engageEuropean citizens in spaceexploration and to inspire newgenerations through, among others, theinvolvement of universities in theelaboration of future explorationmissions.

Robotic MissionsThis component covers the development,launch and operation of selectedexploration missions. The first proposedEuropean mission is ExoMars – the firstexobiology mission to the planet. Slatedfor launch in 2011, it will providevaluable experience in the design andoperation of new enabling technologiesand capabilities: the entry, descent andlanding system, and the rover, drill andsample-acquisition systems. It will thusopen the way to future scientific andexploration missions. At the same time,ExoMars will return excellent scientificinformation by searching for traces ofpast and present life, characterising theplanet’s biological environment,improving our knowledge of theMartian environment and geophysics,and identifying hazards before landingother spacecraft. ExoMars will qualifyEurope to undertake future Marsexploration. The mission is described ingreater detail in the following article.

At the Ministerial meeting inDecember 2005, Member States couldsubscribe to either or both elements: 14of the 17 countries chose both. Inparticular, ExoMars received over-whelming support, especially by Italy.Subscriptions of more than€650 million exceeded the financialenvelope required for the proposedbaseline configuration. The Core

Programme attracted some €73 millionfor 2006–2009, with Belgium and Italybeing the main contributors, followed bythe UK and Switzerland.

Status and Next StepsPhase-B1 of ExoMars is due to becompleted by the end of 2006. Underthe prime contractorship of AlcatelAlenia Space Italy (AAS-I), the phasehas accommodated the outcome of theMinisterial Council. The baselinemission, launched by a Soyuz fromKourou in 2011, includes a carrier, adescent module, a rover and the scientificpayloads: the exobiology ‘Pasteur’ onthe rover and a geophysical package onthe lander. Communications and data-relay will be provided by NASA’s MarsReconnaissance Orbiter, which arrivedat the planet last March.

In order to increase mission robustnessand capabilities – in anticipation ofinterest by Member States – twoadditional options are being studied inparallel by industry. An orbiter could belaunched on a second Soyuz, or anAriane-5 would allow the baseline’scarrier to be replaced by an orbiter.Participating States will be called on todecide early next year at theImplementation Review. That meetingwill also take into account the maturityof the mission concept.

A series of activities is being launchedwithin the Core Programme, withspecial attention to architecture andsystem studies, a Mars Sample ReturnPhase-A2 study, and key technologydevelopments for the next mission toMars. In particular, the MSR mission isconsidered by the scientific community

worldwide as a logical step in theexploration of Mars. From a scientificpoint of view, it will provide samples ofMartian soil to study in ourlaboratories, where instruments are farmore powerful than could ever becarried by spacecraft or rovers. From atechnology standpoint, the MSRmission would be the first attempt at areturn trip to the Red Planet, with all itsoperational implications.

ConclusionsAurora is Europe’s framework, throughESA, for defining and developing theEuropean contribution, be it capabilities,building blocks or autonomousmissions, to the global endeavour of therobotic and human exploration of theMoon and Mars. Europe’s ambition isto work out a comprehensive, long-termexploration strategy, building in a degreeof independence alongside significantcommonality with NASA’s and otherpartners’ plans. Europe is seeking to bea key partner, building on itsachievements and experience in robotic,scientific and planetary missions,infrastructure development and humanspaceflight. ESA’s planned roboticmissions are fully in line with theinternationally agreed strategy for thescientific exploration of Mars. They fitnicely in terms of timing and scientificgoals with other missions to Mars. In anevolving international context, it isimportant that the Europeancontribution is robust and sustainableand, to the maximum extent possible,does not critically depend on a singlepartner’s capabilities. Since Aurora’sinception, international cooperation hasalways been identified as a key enablingelement to achieve the long-term goals.Sound, yet flexible, internationalcooperation is therefore an importantelement for sustainability androbustness in the worldwide endeavourin which Europe and ESA intend to playa significant role. e

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Further information on Aurora can be found atwww.esa.int/aurora