Posted by tourdemars to Sample Return at October 11, 2002 12:00 PM

Step by step, the European Space Agency’s new Aurora space exploration programme is beginning to take shape. This ambitious programme, started by ESA in January 2002, sets out a strategy over the next 30 years for Europe’s robotic and human exploration of Mars, the Moon, and even beyond to the asteroids. On Monday 7 October, the Aurora Board of Participants met at ESA Headquarters in Paris and approved the start of assessment studies for the first four robotic missions in the programme.