[X] My Assistant

[Rakhir]

ESA’s Space Science Advisory Committee (SSAC) selected the new candidates for possible future scientific missions.
At the end of this process, two missions will be proposed for implementation with launches planned for 2017 and 2018.
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM1IQAMS7F_index_0.html

The candidates are :
- Laplace, studying the Jovian system
- Tandem, a new mission to Saturn, Titan and Enceladus
- Cross-scale, deeper study of near-earth space
- Marco Polo, an asteroid sample-return mission
- Dune, the dark universe investigator
- Space, the new near-infrared all-sky cosmic explorer
- Plato, the new planet finder
- Spica, the next generation infrared observatory
- Xeus, X-ray Evolving Universe Spectroscopy

[Guest_Geographer_*]

What is the expected budget for each mission?

From a strictly planetary science view, which moon in the solar system is most compelling?

[simonbp]

From a strictly planetary science view, which moon in the solar system is most compelling?

I'd say the rough order is probably Europa (astrobio), Titan (surface/atmosphere), Io (volcanism), and Ganymede (might have an ocean too). There's a pretty good chance that the next NASA outer planets flagship mission will be a Europa orbiter, so a European mission to Titan would be a nice complement. Likewise, if the flagship goes to Titan, the ESA will probably to Jupiter...

Simon

[nprev]

Likewise, if the flagship goes to Titan, the ESA will probably to Jupiter...

Are ESA & NASA in fact engaged in this level of collaborative planning? (I hope so; seems like a true win-win as long as data sharing is unencumbered & associate investigators/liasons are assigned.)

[vjkane]

Are ESA & NASA in fact engaged in this level of collaborative planning?

The announcement of the next round of studies of Flagship missions said that the studies would be conducted with ESA and JAXA (although JAXA may have been mentioned only in Leonard David's piece). I believe the ESA announcement about their next round of big mission selections said they were looking to collaborate with NASA.