PARIS (Reuters) - The European Space Agency signed final contracts with Thales Alenia Space Italy for work on a pair of missions to assess if the planet Mars has or ever had life, officials said at the Paris Airshow this week.Full story
Europe's newest deep-space tracking station has received its first interplanetary message: a photo of a half-lit Mars as seen by an orbiting spacecraft. Full story
Science ministers from the 20 member states of the European Space Agency on Wednesday approved a budget of €10 billion ($12.8 billion) over the next three years, coming close to the agency's request despite the continent's economic woes. Full story
Director of Human Spaceflight and Operations at the European Space Agency, Thomas Reiter, speaks during a news conference at the Science Museum in London May 20, 2013. British pilot Peake was announced on Monday as one of the astronauts selected to fly on a five-month mission on the International Sp
European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano tries out his space suit at the Baikonur cosmodrome May 17, 2013. Parmitano is part of a three person team scheduled to launch for the International Space Station on May 29. REUTERS/Sergei Remezov (KAZAKHSTAN - Tags: TRANSPORT SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY)
European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano signs a guest book in the former office of Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, as a back-up crew stands behind him at the Star City space centre outside Moscow, May 8, 2013. Parmitano is part of a three person team scheduled to launch for the Internat
European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano adjusts his equipment before a training examination at the Star City space centre outside Moscow April 30, 2013. Parmitano is part of a three person team is scheduled to launch for the International Space Station on May 29. REUTERS/Sergei Remezov (RUSSI
European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano adjusts his space suit before taking part in a simulation exercise at the Star City cosmonaut training centre outside Moscow April 26, 2013. Parmitano is part of a three person team scheduled to launch for the International Space Station in May. REUTERS
