Posted by 2courtneyl on January 10, 2010 at 8:03pm
NASA and ESA, US and European agencies, signed an agreement that allows the two countries’ scientists and engineers to work together and go to Mars. The agreement also allows them to start the joint planning of the Red Mission. This agreement is called The Mars Joint Exploration Initiative or MEJI and it was penned in Washington DC. The heads of the agencies were the ones to sign the Washington document. The signers were Charles Bolden who is NASA’s administrator and Jean-Jacques Dordain who is ESA’s director-general.In 2016 with a European- led orbiter the union will start. Then they will use surface rovers in 2018. The rover will search for life on Mars. Then they will work on a network of landers during 2020. Another thing they will try to do is gather Mar’s rocks and soil and bring them back to Earths’ labs.
The Mars Joint Exploration Initiative has been discussed and thought about several months. They had to discuss things like the division of financing and responsibility. Eventually everything came together. The initiative was made more formal by the letter of intent.The two countries have decided that together they can combine their experience and achieve more. With both the US and Europe having financial trouble working together will help the exploration schedule of a mission every two years happen. ESA’s member have already pledge 850m euro towards a Red Planet venture.
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