[X] My Assistant

[SFJCody]

http://www.ohb-system.de/gb/News/presse/3006_06.html

DLR, OHB Studying Lunar Concepts

The German Aerospace Center, DLR, and space-hardware manufacturer OHB-System AG of Bremen, Germany, are dividing the 500,000 euro ($640,000) cost of a 10-month study contract for a future lunar exploration program called Mona Lisa, OHB-System announced.

Under the Mona Lisa contract it received from DLR, OHB will design possible lunar exploration scenarios in which German industry would play a major role. The goal is to be prepared for a sizable German contribution if a European or international lunar exploration program takes shape.

The European Space Agency, through its Aurora Core Program, also is investigating lunar exploration scenarios and is expected to issue study contracts late in 2006. A decision on a lunar exploration program is expected in 2008. European scientists are divided over whether the Moon or Mars should be the focus of their exploration effort.

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

Hmm, I remember seeing this mission concept mentioned a couple of issues ago in AW&ST in the "In Orbit" section. In fact, I'll have to check but I think the blurb in AW&ST was verbatim repeat of the press release you link to above.

EDIT: Mea culpa, though the illustration was included. From the July 10, 2006, issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology:

In Orbit

Germans Plan Lunar Mission Study
Aviation Week & Space Technology
07/10/2006, page 17

Edited by Frank Morring, Jr.

Germany may be going to the Moon. The German aerospace center DLR and Bremen-based space contractor OHB-System will jointly undertake a preliminary definition study for a small German national lunar exploration mission. The 10-month, 500,000-euro ($635,000) study will determine the technological and economic feasibility, and scientific interest, of a mission around 2010 based on this OHB lunar lander concept, dubbed Mona Lisa, that was presented at the Berlin air show in May. Mona Lisa would borrow on small satellite and robotics know-how developed by DLR, OHB and other German suppliers (AW&ST June 5, p. 22). The project parallels a lunar mission being considered by the Italian space agency under a new three-year space-spending plan unveiled this spring. With its sights set mainly on Mars, Europe has yet to lay out a common road map for lunar exploration.

This post has been edited by AlexBlackwell: Jul 20 2006, 06:41 PM

[elakdawalla]

My understanding is that Aurora has always included some intent to head to the Moon -- that is, there isn't a lunar version of Aurora, it's all part of one program, like the "Moon to Mars" idea here in the States, where lunar testing for some components is a necessary first step before sending things to Mars. However, they tend to play it down because there is very, very little enthusiasm for lunar exploration among the European scientific community.

--Emily

[Guest_AlexBlackwell_*]

My understanding is that Aurora has always included some intent to head to the Moon -- that is, there isn't a lunar version of Aurora, it's all part of one program, like the "Moon to Mars" idea here in the States, where lunar testing for some components is a necessary first step before sending things to Mars. However, they tend to play it down because there is very, very little enthusiasm for lunar exploration among the European scientific community.

Yes, the thread title is a bit of a misnomer. It's probably better to subsitute "component" for "version."

As you note, Aurora is an ESA program (or, if you will, programme). Aurora's "primary objective...is to create, and then implement, a European long-term plan for the robotic and human exploration of the solar system, with Mars, the Moon and the asteroids as the most likely targets. A second objective is to search for life beyond the Earth. Future missions under the programme will carry sophisticated exobiology payloads to investigate the possibility of life forms existing on other worlds within the solar system."