ROSALIND FRANKLIN ROVER TO SEARCH MARS FOR SIGNS OF LIFE

The UK-backed Rosalind Franklin rover is scheduled to launch in late 2028 and land on Mars in 2030 as part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars programme.

The rover will drill up to two metres beneath the Martian surface to collect samples that could help scientists determine whether the planet once supported life or could still contain evidence of it.

The UK Space Agency said samples collected below the surface would be better protected from radiation that affects Martian soil. An onboard laboratory will analyse the samples for their mineral and chemical composition and possible biological indicators.

The rover is expected to land in Oxia Planum, an ancient region containing clay-rich rocks believed to date back about 3.9 billion years. Scientists consider the area promising because clay minerals generally form in the presence of water.

The UK has invested about £490m in the ExoMars programme over two decades, supporting scientific research and high-skilled jobs.

The Rosalind Franklin rover is being built by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage, while UK institutions are involved in developing several scientific instruments, including cameras and spectrometers.

The mission will work alongside the Trace Gas Orbiter, which has been studying Mars’ atmosphere since 2016 and has detected water ice at low latitudes.

NASA has also approved support for the mission, while SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy has been selected to launch the rover from the Kennedy Space Center.

The mission aims to improve scientists’ understanding of Mars and investigate whether the planet ever had conditions capable of supporting life.