ASTRONAUT Tim Peake praised Oxfordshire's role in helping to develop an 'exciting new era' in space exploration during a visit to the county.
The 46-year-old, who has spent more than six months on the International Space Station, joined the science minister Sam Gyimah last week to announce a £3.9million contract that will see a rover visit Mars.
Airbus and the European Space Agency (ESA) will run the new mission which will collect samples that, for the first time ever, will be brought back to earth and analysed.
Major Peake said: “This is an exciting new era where businesses and space agencies are working closer than ever before on ambitious missions to expand our knowledge of the Solar System and deliver benefits to people’s lives.
“The close collaboration between the UK and ESA will place Britain at the forefront of innovative missions to explore the Moon, Mars and beyond.”
Harwell's space cluster contains 80 private, public and academic organisations who are aiming to grow the UK's £13.7billion sector.
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