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Drawing of Mars Sample Fetch Rover. Photo: Airbus
Archant
Airbus Defense and Space, based at Stevenage, won a £ 4 million contract for the design of an essential rover for the supply of land from Mars to Earth.
The European Space Agency's project will see the multinational company Gunnels Wood Road design a Sample Fetch Rover, which will be launched for March in 2026.
will retrieve 36 sample tubes the size of a pen left on the surface of the red planet by NASA's Mars2020 robot, then will load them into a container the size of a basketball in a vehicle that will go into orbit around Mars. Science Minister Sam Gyimah said, "This remarkable new project, which will see samples brought back from Mars to Earth for the first time, illustrates the world of Britain. leader in scientific and technical innovation. The awarding of this contract builds on the UK's expertise in the field of space and robotics, which the government supports through the agency. space and major investments in our modern industrial strategy
. The construction by Airbus at Stevenage, and the refined knowledge and expertise will now be applied to the design of this new mission, which aims to provide for the first time safely material from another planet.
Signature of NASA and ESA a letter of intent in April to continue a mission to return Martian samples. The plan is for samples to land in the United States, ahead of the study by scientists around the world.
Fetch Rover Sample is part of the March Marsa Mission proposed by ESA-NASA that wants to be approved at 2019 ESA Council
Ben Boyes, Project Manager of the Fetch Rover Project, said: "This historic mission is ambitious and technologically advanced, with two robots interacting for the first time on Mars
The surface and orbiting samples mean that it will be possible for the first time to directly study the soil of Mars in laboratories on Earth. "
David Parker, director of ESA, added:" This is due to strong will and continued support from ESA member states to position Europe as a key player in the international exploration of Mars.
"I can not wait to see the first shots of the Mars Sample Fetch Rover on."
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