B.B.C. Article
Key decisions on Europe's capability and activity in space will be taken by research ministers on Tuesday.
They will come together in Luxembourg to resolve the future of the Ariane rocket and the continent's involvement in the International Space Station.
The European Space Agency's (Esa) Council Meeting at Ministerial Level also has the Red Planet on its agenda.



Next-generation rocket will be modular in design, offering two variants
Vehicles will lean on their Ariane 5 heritage but cost less to build
A new upper-stage engine (Vinci), already in development, will be used
Solid fuel boosters from the Vega rocket will provide additional power
A62 will tend to launch medium-sized government/science missions
A64 will launch the big commercial telecoms satellites, two at a time
They will carry 5 or 11 tonnes into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)

Money must be found to fill a budget hole in the flagship ExoMars mission due to leave Earth in 2018.
But it is an agreement on a next-generation Ariane launcher that will be pivotal to the outcome of the gathering.
Ministers look set to approve the full development of a new rocket to replace the continent’s existing workhorse.
The Ariane 5 has come to dominate the market for putting up big commercial satellites, but it is now under pressure from competitor services offering lower prices.

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