"The Planetary and Space Science Centre (PASSC) opened in April, 2001 and was the first facility of its kind in Canada. PASSC is a growing group of scientists and engineers involved in researching planetary geology, space-related technology and associated applications. PASSC works directly with world-renowned space agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), providing direct involvement with two missions to Mars in the near future (Mars Science Laboratory and ExoMars)."