Ottawa nixes funds for ESA Mars rover.
The federal government has turned down a request by Canada's space industry to support a contract that would have allowed the companies to build the European Space Agency's Mars surface rover, CBC News has learned.

The decision stunned the companies and has left the ESA scrambling to find a new partner, as no European firm is adequately prepared to match the technical abilities of Canadian firms to build its ExoMars rover. A computer rendition of the ExoMars rover, which the European Space Agency wanted the Canadian space industry to build for a planned mission to Mars by 2015. The ESA wanted Canadian space companies — considered world leaders in robotics — to build the rover for its planned exploration of Mars by 2015. The rover would have a far more sophisticated robotics package than the current U.S. platforms in use

Because of ESA politics (ESA is a JOBS program like NASA) now the Europeans will have to spend lots MORE Euros to get up to speed on robotics and do it themselves vs using the best available technology. More cost and more delay for less result. The simple solution is out. ESA won't send money to Canader to fun the program. Jobs programs don't work that way.