Europe to ask for homegrown lander for troubled ExoMars rover

[Admin]

The science goals set for Europe's beleaguered ExoMars rover are still unique, European Space Agency said, as it laid down plans to ask member states to fund a new homegrown descent module.

Europe to ask for homegrown lander for troubled ExoMars rover : Read more

 

[newtons_laws]

Good news that ESA are still looking to continue with the ExoMars rover. As regards a descent module then with the Russians ruled out the only remaining space agencies with proven Mars descent capability are the US and China. It would doubtless be helpful if ESA could collaborate with one of those agencies for technical knowhow and advice in designing a descent module, but I presume China would be ruled out due to similar political risk as Russia, so perhaps in order to mitigate the risk of lander failure on such a high profile and important rover mission ESA could come to some technology transfer arrangement with NASA?