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Monday, April 16, 2012

Wanted: Ideas for NASA's future Mars missions - TODAY Tech - TODAY.com

ESA
An artist's conception shows the ExoMars rover in operation on the Red Planet. NASA has decided to end its participation in the ExoMars program and is now looking for alternate mission concepts.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports
updated 4/13/2012 4:57:27 PM ET

NASA is racing to come up with a new, cheaper road map to Mars.

The space agency said Friday that it's seeking ideas from scientists and engineers around the globe for robotic missions it can do in 2018 and beyond.

Earlier this year, NASA pulled out of a partnership with the Europeans due to budget cuts. NASA and the European Space Agency  had been working on missions targeted for 2016 and 2018 that woud have marked the first steps toward bringing Martian soil and rocks back to Earth.

The Europeans say they will continue moving ahead with the multibillion-dollar ExoMars program, thanks to a newly forged arrangement with Russia.

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http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47044516/ns/today-today_tech/t/wanted-new-ideas-nasas-future-mars-missions/#.T4uru1usX59

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