Company attributes
Other attributes
The Mars Exploration Joint Initiative was signed between NASA and ESA in 2009 in order to establish a joint exploration initiative on Mars. The agreement was set in Plymouth, England, and was held between Ed Weiler and David Southwood to create a framework for the two agencies to define and implement scientific, programmatic and technological goals on Mars.
The agreement was set in motion in December of 2008, and was led by the ESA's Ministerial Council as they were seeking international cooperation to complete the ExoMars mission and prepare future Mars robotic exploration missions. NASA had been looking into a Mars Exploration Program after their Mars Science Laboratory project was delayed from 2009 to 2011.
The agreement provided for new launch opportunities in 2016, 2018, and 2020 for landers and orbiters. They look to conduct astrobiological, geological, and geophysical investigations, as well as establish viable joint mission architectures. Their plans are developed and reviewed between ESA member states and by the US National Academy of Sciences.
