Rosalind Franklin rover set to drill beneath Mars in life-search mission
The UK-backed Rosalind Franklin rover is scheduled to launch in late 2028 and land on Mars in 2030. The European Space Agency mission will drill up to two metres below the surface, where samples may be shielded from radiation, and analyse them for signs of past or present life.
The UK-backed Rosalind Franklin rover is scheduled to launch in late 2028 and land on Mars in 2030, where it will drill beneath the surface in a search for evidence of past or present life, according to an updated UK Space Agency case study published on Wednesday. The rover will be able to obtain samples from as deep as two metres. The agency said material below the surface is better protected from the harsh radiation affecting Martian soil at ground level.
An onboard laboratory will examine the samples’ mineral and chemical composition and look for possible evidence of life. The mission is part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars programme, which combines orbital and surface investigations. The Trace Gas Orbiter is already studying Mars’s atmosphere, while the Rosalind Franklin rover is intended to investigate the planet’s surface and subsurface.
The rover will land in Oxia Planum, a region containing ancient, clay-rich rocks estimated to be around 3.9 billion years old. The UK Space Agency said clay minerals generally form in the presence of water, making the area a promising location for investigating whether Mars once had conditions suitable for life. The rover’s instruments will help select locations for drilling and analyse material collected there.
A UK-led PanCam system will produce detailed images and assist in building three-dimensional maps of the terrain. Other instruments being developed with UK involvement include the Raman Laser Spectrometer, which can identify minerals, chemical compounds and some possible biomarkers, and the Enfys infrared spectrometer. The UK Space Agency said the country had invested about £490m in the programme over two decades, supporting more than 200 high-skilled jobs.
Thirty-one UK scientists have been named as mission instrument team members, with more than 100 involved in the programme more broadly. Airbus Defence and Space is building the rover at its facility in Stevenage. The agency said the Trace Gas Orbiter had not recorded methane, despite methane being of interest because it can be linked to biological and geological processes on Earth.
The orbiter has nevertheless made other discoveries, including helping detect hydrogen chloride in the Martian atmosphere.
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