Developments in Space Exploration

[Astronuc]

Some interesting ideas

Europe floats future space ideas
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7053057.stm

A mission could be launched before the end of the next decade to put a balloon on Titan, the hazy Saturnian moon.
The balloon is one of several ideas being considered by the European Space Agency as it sketches out where its science should be focussed in future.

Other proposals include an X-ray telescope that flies in two parts; and a sample-return mission to an asteroid.

All the ideas will be subjected to further study; and are likely to evolve as international partners get involved.

Eventually, two missions will be selected, one to fly no earlier than 2017 and the other no earlier than 2018.

Esa's future-scoping project is known as Cosmic Vision. It assesses the big questions currently in space science and then tries to find mission architectures that can best deliver the answers.

There are two categories: large (L-Class), which will cost Esa something in the region of 650m euros; and medium (M-Class), which is projected to cost the agency about 300m euros.

For the big missions, international partnerships are necessary because the costs involved are so great. A recent US space agency (Nasa) report found that no meaningful mission to the Saturnian system could be undertaken for less than $1bn (700m euros) and would in all events cost considerably more.
. . . . .

As compared to $100 bn /yr for Bush's fiasco.

Esa, Nasa team up on key missions
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6767183.stm

The US and European space agencies are to co-operate on two missions considered vital for efforts to create a new understanding of the Universe.

Agency chiefs signed official agreements outlining the partnership in a ceremony at the Paris Air Show.

They will collaborate on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), due to launch in 2013, and the Lisa Pathfinder.

The James Webb observatory has been described as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Major space missions move ahead
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6442827.stm

First Selection of Candidate Missions for CV2015 Assessment Studies
http://sci.esa.int/science-e/www/area/index.cfm?fareaid=100

On 18 October 2007 after a meeting of the SSAC, the candidate missions have been selected for further assessment and consideration for launch in 2017/2018. These new candidate missions are joined by LISA, which was moved into the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 plan in May 2007.

 

[waht]

I'm pleased they are working on something ever since NASA canceled such projects due to Bush's budget cuts and his moon priority thing. However I don't see the extraterrestrial planet finder interferometer on their list.