Bolden Tries To Save Face on ExoMars
U.S., Europe Won’t Go It Alone in Mars Exploration, Space News
“Let me say this clearly, because we hear all the time that NASA has ‘abandoned’ ExoMars,” Bolden said. “We have not abandoned ExoMars, and the Electra payload is an example of our continuing high interest in the mission.”
ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, NASA.gov
“NASA will not be moving forward with the planned 2016 and 2018 ExoMars missions that we had been exploring with the European Space Agency. Instead, we will develop an integrated strategy to ensure that the next steps for Mars exploration will support science as well as human exploration goals.”
Keith’s note: Note: Electra is a UHF radio/relay on MRO. It is already in orbit at Mars. As such, it doesn’t take much “high interest” on NASA’s part to allow ExoMars or any other mission to use it – as long as it still works.
NASA has suggested it might put an Electra on a future ESA orbiter for free, as a “contribution.”
Of course, some people might also look at this as “NASA would like ESA to fly another Electra to Mars for future MSL comms, for free.”
That said, the most important statement in Charlie Bolden’s statement is for the need for high-speed (especially optical) comms, and how much present missions are restricted to a tiny fraction of a percent of potential performance by lack of those comms. It’s a bold, and correct, statement, and it is good to see him trying to open up this discussion with ESA and other international partners.
There are two Electra Comm Cards at Mars. One on MRO, the other on MSL. They provide CCSDS communication capabilities including one called Proximity One. ExoMars would certainly benefit from continued application of these protocols. But certainly this is a bare minimum participation by NASA in ExoMars. NASA needs to do more – needs a bigger budget.
I’m sure the administration would be happy to say where they could get the money – if Congress would agree.
The Electra SDR is a standalone radio, not a “card”. It’s a UHF radio for proximity comm (relay through orbiter). MRO carries one, MAVEN will carry one, TGO will carry one, MSL has two Electra-Lite radios.
There is also significant participation (30%) of Goddard in one of the instruments of ExoMars. It is never mentioned but it is there.
Keith, I think what he is talking about is putting ANOTHER Electra on the spacecraft, not just using the Electra on MRO. There’s an Electra on MSL, and one on MAVEN, as well. And, the new Electras are improved over the one on MRO.