UK SPACE AGENCY ALLOCATES £7.4 MILLION FOR SPACE MISSIONS

According to the statement, the funding will allow various UK institutions to work with space agencies like ISRO (Indian Space and Research Organisation) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

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The United Kingdom Space Agency has announced la significant investment totaling 7.4 million pounds in funding for multiple projects, aimed at securing the nation's involvement in upcoming global space endeavors targeting the Moon, Mars, and Venus. This initiative was revealed in an official statement by the British High Commission.

The allocated funding will facilitate collaborations between various UK institutions and prominent space agencies such as ISRO (Indian Space and Research Organisation) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration).

Among the seven projects receiving funding, one notable endeavor is the Space Science and Exploration Bilateral Programme. This initiative will support Royal Holloway, University of London, in the development of software tailored for ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 and Shukrayaan orbiters.

Chandrayaan-2, tasked with detecting sub-surface ice at the lunar south pole, and Shukrayaan, focused on mapping the surface of Venus, are pivotal missions.

Mapping Venus's surface is particularly challenging due to its thick cloud cover, making this project of significant importance.

A primary recipient of funding is the I-MIM (International Mars Ice Mapper) project, a collaboration between the Open University and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The Open University will concentrate on advancing high-performance detectors for the Mars multispectral and stereo imager, crucial for the International Mars Ice Mapper mission. This mission aims to create a comprehensive map of accessible water ice deposits on the Martian surface.