The implosion of ExoMars rover

[j05h]

In December it was reported that the Canadian government was not going to support the ESA's ExoMars rover. While there have been some surmointable technical issues, the main problem was funding. The path that was advocated and rejected in Ottawa was to re-arrange a chunk of CSA's budget toward the project, equal to $100M over 10 years. The companies involved are threatening to move to the US, and frankly having MDA (CanadArm) in the States would rock. <br /><br />http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/12/14/mars-rover.html<br /><br />http://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2006/12/canada-bails-on-future-mars-rover.html<br /><br />Is there any new news? Has a new partner been chosen? Europe says it doesn't have the robotics skills to build ExoMars, which leaves JPL, APL, MDA (even if CSA passes) and what other organizations to build it? What are Canada's other space priorities?<br /><br />ESA has an updated page that still indicates ESA-Canadian cooperation. How will this happen? Is the CSA being avoided? Is CSA being disbanded/absorbed into NASA or ESA? One of the articles indicates it has not had a director for over a year.<br /><br />http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Aurora/SEM1NVZKQAD_0.html<br /><br />Thoughts on the situation?<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[docm]

My thoughts on that whole situation aren't suitable for public consumption <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br />Other than that I don't blame those companies on bit for leaving if that's what they do. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[j05h]

<i>> My thoughts on that whole situation aren't suitable for public consumption</i><br /><br />If you have views, please share them, minus any naughty verbiage. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I'm actually interested in the situation.<br /><br />Josh <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div align="center"><em>We need a first generation of pioneers.</em><br /></div> </div>

 

[docm]

Problem is that they consist of about 60% "naughty verbiage" <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <br /><br />Lemme try....<br /><br />Seems to me the Canadian government has done everything they could to destroy their own aerospace industry for over 40 years and this is a continuance of same. The actions of the Canadian govt. are in this particular case reprehensible and self destructive in the long term. <br /><br />Lest anyone turn this into a liberal/conservative thing this kind of shortsightedness has persisted across governments of both persuasions, so there's plenty of blame to go around.<br /><br />If the US ends up with companies that couldn't exist under this kind of governmental stupidity then good for us, but if I were Canadian I'd be very ticked off. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[solarspot]

"If the US ends up with companies that couldn't exist under this kind of governmental stupidity then good for us, but if I were Canadian I'd be very ticked off."<br /><br />If the stupidity of the Canadian gov't is intolerable, I don't know how people are dealing with the US gov... Yes our government hasn't been the best in terms of space exploration. Do I like it? Not really. Is it reprehensible? I don't think it is... The job of a government is to protect the best intrests of it's citizens, and sending a rover to Mars isn't going to reduce the crime rate in Toronto or anything.<br /><br />Do I think our remaining aerospace companies should go to the US? No. I see it as a source of national pride, looking at at picture from the Space Shuttle and seeing them using the CanadArm on a regular baisis. If they leave, we become just an other country with nothing to brag about to the Americans... Do I think the CSA should help ESA with the ExoMars rover? If it doesen't pull more government money into CSA than the present day sum sure... otherwise I wouldn't really want to fund it either.<br /><br />Just my little national/polital space rant there... feel free to forget all about what I just said if you think the American gov't is somehow smarter.

 

[docm]

Far from it, but at least the US govt. supports its aerospace industry in spurts, more often than not. On the other hand Canada has almost destroyed theirs over a span of 40+ years. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>