Timeline

2008

February (planned): Kick-off Phase 2B contracts for the Enhanced ExoMars mission

Phase B2 will conclude with the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) on mission level in 2009.

A successful PDR will allow proceeding into Phase C/D, during which the manufacture, assembly, integration and verification will take place.

2007

January/February: Payload Confirmation Review (PCR)

February: Science Management Plan was approved

February/March: System Requirement Review (SRR)

April: Start of Phase B1 Bridging

The SRR Board concluded that additional time is needed to consolidate the ExoMars mission concept and the consequential spacecraft and rover design. A continuation of the Phase B1 is agreed with industry until a time, when the Implementation Review confirms the mission configuration and the European industrial consortium can firmly commit to the required performance, the mission schedule and a corresponding financial envelope.

April-June: Implementation Readiness Review (IRev)

The IRev results at the Program Board for Human spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration (HME-PB) confirmed the selected 'Enhanced Baseline' configuration.

July: Release of S/C RFQ

ESA releases the Request for Quotation (RFQ) to the Prime Contractor, Thales Alenia Space, Italy, and its industrial consortium for the combined spacecraft, that is the Carrier Module (CM), the Descent Module (DM), the Rover Module (RM) and the Rover Operation Centre (ROC).

October: Receipt of industrial proposals

November/December: Tender Evaluation Process

ESA evaluates the technical, managerial, schedule and financial proposals leading to the Tender Evaluation Board (TEB) meeting just before Christmas.

2006

In the framework of its Payload Confirmation Review (PCR), ESA requested instrument proposals for a possible geophysics and environment station to be accommodated in the lander.

December: Start Phase B1

ESA awards a Design Phase Contract to Thales Alenia Space, Italy for phase B1. Award of major subcontractors for Rover Module (Astrium UK), Rover Operations Control Centre (ALTEC), Lander (Astrium GmBH), EDLS (TAS-F), Carrier Module (TAS-F).

2005

Two parallel ExoMars Rover/Pasteur Phase A studies concluded, addressed accommodation of the instruments and integrated design with the ExoMars Rover.

December 2005, decision of Council to start the ExoMars development and exploitation phase with an initial B1 Phase, studying three mission architectures including an ESA orbiter. The Phase B1 to be completed with an Implementation Review.

2004

Selected proposal science teams to converge on a list of instruments for the ExoMars rover. Technical readiness assessed by ESA.

Pasteur list of instruments presented to EPAC and ABP.

2003

Phase A2 Studies of an Exobiology Payload and Rover for the ExoMars mission.

Call for Proposals for an ExoMars Pasteur payload issued and from 50 instrument proposals 22 were studied.

2002

ExoMars Mission Study.

2001

A Call for Ideas to the international scientific community requesting missions to be developed under the new programme recommends, as higher priority, a Mars exobiology mission.

November 2001, establishment of the European Space Exploration Programme, Aurora.

2000

ESA studies, at pre-Phase A level, a concept for an exobiology analytical laboratory: the Exobiology Multiuser Facility (EMF).

1999

The Red Book report, put together by a team of science advisors, recommends that ESA pursue an exobiology mission using a rover able to access the subsurface in combination with a capable analytical laboratory.