Japan to cooperate with Europe on Mercury mission
Posted: Thu, Jun 26, 2003, 10:36 AM ET (1436 GMT)
Japan is set to approve plans to cooperate with Europe on an ambitious Mercury orbiter and lander mission scheduled for early next decade, according to Japanese media reports. A subcommittee of Japan’s Space Activities Commission endorsed a plan this week under which Japan would contribute one spacecraft as part of a three-spacecraft joint mission with Europe. Japan’s spacecraft would be an orbiter designed to measure magnetic fields in the vicinity of the planet. It would be joined by BepiColombo, a proposed European mission that features an orbiter and a lander. The three spacecraft would be launched on at least two Soyuz boosters in late 2010 or early 2011, arriving at Mercury in 2014. Formal approval of the Japanese contribution to the mission by the Space Activities Commission is expected in July. The Japanese component of the mission is estimated to cost $115 million, while Europe will spend $513 million on BepiColombo.
Japan is set to approve plans to cooperate with Europe on an ambitious Mercury orbiter and lander mission scheduled for early next decade, according to Japanese media reports. A subcommittee of Japan’s Space Activities Commission endorsed a plan this week under which Japan would contribute one spacecraft as part of a three-spacecraft joint mission with Europe. Japan’s spacecraft would be an orbiter designed to measure magnetic fields in the vicinity of the planet. It would be joined by BepiColombo, a proposed European mission that features an orbiter and a lander. The three spacecraft would be launched on at least two Soyuz boosters in late 2010 or early 2011, arriving at Mercury in 2014. Formal approval of the Japanese contribution to the mission by the Space Activities Commission is expected in July. The Japanese component of the mission is estimated to cost $115 million, while Europe will spend $513 million on BepiColombo.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX performs two Falcon 9 launches less than an hour apart
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) Virgin Galactic delays resumption of commercial flights to 2027
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, August 16
Southern Launch expands national presence with Canberra office opening
Southern Launch — 12:40 pm ET (1640 GMT) Satellite Industry Association Congratulates Adam Cassady on his U.S. Senate Confirmation as Ambassador at Large for the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy
SIA — 12:37 pm ET (1637 GMT) Mats Thideman to leave AAC Clyde Space
AAC Clyde Space — 12:36 pm ET (1636 GMT) Voyager Awarded Space Force Contract for Resilient Satellite Communications
Voyager Space — 12:36 pm ET (1636 GMT) Scientists Release Biggest 2D Map of the Universe
National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory — 12:34 pm ET (1634 GMT) |
