Key Capabilities
The Marco Polo mission is innovative and would greatly contribute to:
• Testing new technology developments: re-entry capsule, sampling technique, on board artificial intelligence, telecommunication, in situ energy, planetary protection tools
• Preparing the next generation of laboratory facilities for extraterrestrial sample analysis
• Having a pathfinder for sample returns from high gravity bodies and later on for human missions that may use asteroid resources to facilitate human exploration and the development of space.
The Marco Polo proposal has been supported by more than 400 confirmed scientists worldwide and was prepared by a joint European Japanese group.
This mission is in competition with a few other ones for the next selection phase at ESA in fall 2009. If it is selected, its study will continue until 2011. At this stage, at least one mission will be selected for a launch planned for 2017 or 2018 in the current program.
Read more about this topic: Marco Polo (spacecraft)
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