US and Europe May Explore Mars Together

NASA may work with the European Space Agency on future trips to Mars. This represents a significant change for NASA, which has always seen itself as holding a leadership role in the exploration of Mars.

Issues with financing are forcing NASA to consider working with the ESA on future Mars projects. NASA delayed the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory to 2011 and then had to scale back on spending to pay for the $2.3 billion nuclear-powered rover.

At the same time, the ESA is having financial problems of its own. It had planned to launch ExoMars, its own Mars rover, in 2016, but now it cannot afford to do so.

NASA and the ESA have realized that it may be too expensive for one nation to incur the cost of a trip to Mars. The ultimate goal of bringing Martian rocks and soil to Earth is estimated to cost at least $5 billion.

NASA is trying to figure out how the two organizations can work together to get both orbiters to land on Mars during the same launch window.

Some American space advocates are concerned that such a relationship will cause the United States to lose its competitive advantage and to become ensnared in foreign politics

Previously, NASA worked on the Cassini-Hguyens mission to Saturn and its moon Titan with the ESA and the Italian Space Agency. NASA and the ESA have already declared that they will work together a mission to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons in 2020.

A NASA presentation in March suggested that NASA and the USA would take turns leading the partnership for Mars exploration.

Details about this partnership may be available by the end of June.