ESA tests new Mars rovers

LONDON, Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Prototypes for the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover are being tested in Britain, the BBC said.

The robots, nicknamed Bruno and Bradley by British scientists, crawl over obstacles with six-wheel steering. The mission is set to launch in 2013, with the rovers landing on Mars in 2015.

Chris Draper of UK Astrium said the goal is to build a rover that can surpass previous Mars vehicles.

"Obviously, the American MER rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) that were put up by NASA enjoyed an extreme amount of success. They were able to travel large distances, well beyond their planned lifetimes," he told the BBC. "But we're hoping that with our baby, we'll be able to go places that are actually

much further."

The Guardian newspaper said Friday the ExoMars rover will be able to make its own decisions about the best route to use to cross the landscape of Mars. NASA's rovers need to be told where to go by human operators, the newspaper said.