The Rosalind Franklin Mars rover
Originally known as the ExoMars rover, the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover is a delayed mission to the Red Planet. The six-wheeled rover was originally scheduled to launch in 2018, and then again in 2020, but developmental delays held the mission back. The rover was set to go for a launch in 2022, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine compelled ESA to sever its ties with the Russian space agency Roscosmos. The mission is on permanent hiatus as ESA and its partners work to develop a lander for the mission, a replacement for the Russian Kazachok lander.
Once Europe’s rover finally gets to Mars, however, this will be an exciting mission. The rover has the capacity to collect surface samples at depths reaching 6 feet (2 meters) and then study the materials using its onboard lab kit. Rosalind Franklin, named for the famed British chemist, will also search for signs of prior habitability on Mars. The rover will be capable of handling challenging terrain and is expected to cover as much as 328 feet (100 meters) per Martian day.
