ESA gives approval to Mercury mission
Posted: Tue, Feb 27, 2007, 8:29 AM ET (1329 GMT)
The European Space Agency announced Monday that it plans to proceed with the development of a Mercury mission and awarded a contract to build the spacecraft. ESA said that the BepiColombo mission had been formally adopted by the agency's Science Program Committee. A contract to build the main BepiColombo spacecraft, valued at €330 million (US$435 million), was awarded to EADS Astrium on Monday as well. BepiColombo, scheduled for launch in 2013, will consist of a European orbiter and propulsion module, as well as a separate smaller orbiter provided by the Japanese space agency JAXA. The spacecraft will enter orbit around Mercury in 2019 to study the planet and its magnetosphere. A separate lander once planned for the mission was dropped because of cost issues. Mercury has to date been visited by only one spacecraft, NASA's Mariner 10 in the mid-1970s, although NASA has an orbiter mission, MESSENGER, en route to the planet.
The European Space Agency announced Monday that it plans to proceed with the development of a Mercury mission and awarded a contract to build the spacecraft. ESA said that the BepiColombo mission had been formally adopted by the agency's Science Program Committee. A contract to build the main BepiColombo spacecraft, valued at €330 million (US$435 million), was awarded to EADS Astrium on Monday as well. BepiColombo, scheduled for launch in 2013, will consist of a European orbiter and propulsion module, as well as a separate smaller orbiter provided by the Japanese space agency JAXA. The spacecraft will enter orbit around Mercury in 2019 to study the planet and its magnetosphere. A separate lander once planned for the mission was dropped because of cost issues. Mercury has to date been visited by only one spacecraft, NASA's Mariner 10 in the mid-1970s, although NASA has an orbiter mission, MESSENGER, en route to the planet.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Virgin Galactic conducts first suborbital spaceflight since 2021
Posted: Sat, May 27 10:56 AM ET (1456 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, May 31
North Korean Rocket Triggers ‘False Alarm’ Evacuation Alert in South Korea
New York Times — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) North Korea: Rocket failed mid-flight. Japan issues alert
NHK — 6:48 am ET (1048 GMT) US ‘strongly condemns’ North Korea’s purported satellite launch
The Hill — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) North Korea says it will try again ‘soon’ to launch spy satellite
Washington Post — 6:47 am ET (1047 GMT) North Korea spy satellite crashes into sea, Seoul salvages wreckage
AFP — 6:46 am ET (1046 GMT) |
