ESA Science News
http://sci.esa.int

13 Oct 2000

Let's go! ESA's Future Science missions get full approval

At its 92nd meeting, on 11-12 October 2000, ESA's Science Programme
Committee took the final step to consolidate the future of the science
programme by unanimously endorsing the recommendations of the Space
Science Advisory Committee of 15 September, which proposed a package
to be implemented in the years 2008-2013.

The package consists of five missions and one reserve, namely:

* The Cornerstone BepiColombo to explore the planet Mercury, which
will
be the fifth Cornerstone of Horizons 2000, to be launched in 2009 in
collaboration with Japan;
* The Cornerstone GAIA, which will analyse the composition, formation
and evolution of our Galaxy by mapping with unprecedented precision
one
billion stars, to be launched no later than 2012;
* The Cornerstone LISA, the first gravitational waves space
observatory,
in collaboration with NASA, at the cost of one Flexi-mission;
* The Flexi-mission NGST, the Next Generation Space Telescope, again
in
collaboration with NASA;
* The Flexi-mission Solar Orbiter, the successor of the SOHO and
Ulysses
missions;
* The "reserve" Flexi-mission Eddington, a mission to map stellar
evolution
and find habitable planets, which could be implemented depending on
the
NGST and LISA schedules or provision of further resources.

The SSAC recommended a package instead of a limited number of
missions,
because the schedule of both NGST and LISA is outside of the control
of ESA.
These are all exciting missions, which could be implemented between
2008
and 2013 if the yearly budget were to remain at the present level,
albeit
with a yearly compensation for inflation.

The SPC , while endorsing the SSAC recommendations, added the
following
resolution:

* The SPC supports the recommendation of the SSAC regarding the
decision
on future Cornerstones and the selection of F2/F3 missions
(SSAC(2000)4).
* The SPC reiterates the need to revisit the implementation of the
selected
missions at each decision on the Level of Resources.
* The SPC emphasises the need to maintain flexibility for new ideas
and the
earliest appropriate implementation of GAIA.

With the choices made, by around 2013, ESA will also substantially
contribute
to creating a catalogue of dangerous NEO's.

The SPC also approved the other recommendations of the SSAC:

* support costing up to 2 MEuro to the mission COROT (COnvection,
ROtation
and planetary Transits ) of CNES;
* support costing up to 5 Meuro to the mission MICROSCOPE:
MICROSatellite
à traînée COmpensée" pour l'Observation du Principe d'Equivalence.

In return for the support, both missions will be "europeanised", the
details
are yet to be worked out.

These missions will also fill the foreseen "gap" in launches of ESA
scientific
missions, which will extend from 2003 to 2007.

In 2004 the IR mission ASTRO-F, of the Institute of Space and
Astronautical
Sciences (ISAS) of Japan will also be launched. The SPC recommended
the
collaboration between ESA and ISAS on this mission, for a total cost
to ESA
of approximately 3.8 Meuro.

Finally, the SPC will decide the implementation of SMART-2, a
technological
mission supporting future cornerstones, at an extraordinary meeting to
be
held on 8 November 2000.

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Hugo Marée
ESA Science Programme Communication Service
Tel: +33 (0)1 5369 7106
Fax: +31 (0)1 5369 7236

Mr. Franco Bonacina
Media Relations Office
Tel: +33 (0) 1 53 69 7155
Fax: +33 (0) 1 53 69 7690

USEFUL LINKS FOR THIS STORY

* Future missions selection
http://sci.esa.int/content/doc/28/24360_.htm

IMAGE CAPTIONS:

[Image 1:
http://sci.esa.int/content/searchimage/searchresult.cfm?aid=1&cid=1&oo
id=24441]
Artist's Impression of the Solar Orbiter -- A High-Resolution Mission
to the
Sun and Inner Heliosphere.

[Image 2:
http://sci.esa.int/content/searchimage/searchresult.cfm?aid=1&cid=1&oo
id=11741]
Bold ideas short-listed for future ESA science projects.



Jason Perry
volcanopele@...
Moderator of the Outer Planets Mailing List (subscribe at
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Webmaster of the Io Home Page (
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