Minister hints at missions to planets

Britain could soon be sending further missions to Mars and other planets, according to the UK's science minister.

More money for planetary missions could be forthcoming

Lord Sainsbury says projects like the UK's Mars lander Beagle 2 will become a priority in the future.

And he indicated Britain would take a full role in the European Space Agency's new project, Aurora.

This is the European Space Agency's (Esa) 20-year programme of planetary space exploration.

In an interview in The Engineer magazine, Lord Sainsbury said: "I think we will play a very big part [in Aurora], because we see robotic exploration as being, from a scientific point of view, the best way to do planetary research.

Priority will be given to work of this kind because this is where UK engineers will have a real competitive advantage

Lord Sainsbury

"We are now building up some competence and knowledge in that area.

"What it means is that, of the money we put into Esa, priority will be given to work of this kind because this is where UK engineers will have a real competitive advantage."

Britain's space funding has so far focused mainly on Earth-related projects, such as orbiting satellites.

The science minister helped Beagle 2 get off the ground by giving the project his personal support.

However, The Engineer said the minister's comments had provoked controversy in the UK space technology community.

Insiders at the British National Space Centre, which manages UK co-operation with Esa, rejected any suggestion of a change in funding plans for space activities.

Mars Express

A policy adviser for the centre said: "There is no plan for a shift to more robotic exploration."

Beagle 2 is being carried to Mars as part of the Esa's Mars Express mission - the mission which launched Aurora.

Beagle is due to parachute down to the surface of Mars on Christmas Day and start searching for signs of past or present life.

Britain must decide whether to become an active member of the programme within the next two years.

In 2006, Esa hopes to launch its Venus Express mission. Although based on Mars Express, the spacecraft will not have a lander.

Three years later the Bepi-Colombo probe will be launched to Mercury. Esa has yet to make a decision about a lander for this mission, but could call on British engineering experience if one is included.

Four other Aurora missions are planned over the next 20 years. Two will test a "return from Mars" re-entry vehicle, and an aerocapture manoeuvre which uses a planet's atmosphere to slow down a spacecraft.

The other two missions are called ExoMars and Mars Sample Return. The first will study the Martian environment and the second aims to bring a soil sample back to Earth.