Mars
ExoMars 2028 Rosalind Franklin Rover
ESA's ExoMars 2028 mission will land the Rosalind Franklin rover to drill beneath Mars' surface and search for biosignatures in ancient rocks.
ESA is keeping the Rosalind Franklin rover on a 2028 launch track while rover integration, landing-system preparation, and subsurface-drilling validation continue for Mars astrobiology operations.
View in 3D map ↗Official mission site ↗The mission
ExoMars 2028 is ESA's Mars astrobiology mission built around the Rosalind Franklin rover. The rover is designed to land in a site with high potential for preserved organics, traverse several kilometers, drill to 2 m, and analyze subsurface samples in its onboard laboratory.
The launch
- Launch
- October 31, 2028
- Launch location
- Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA
- Launch vehicle
- Falcon Heavy
- Orbit
- Mars transfer trajectory
Mission timeline
Follow the mission through its available trajectory data in the full 3D solar-system map.
- Now
Rover integration and drilling validation
TBD · Mars
ESA continues integration and validation work for the Rosalind Franklin rover and its 2 m drilling system.
Open milestone source ↗Objectives
- 01
Land the Rosalind Franklin rover at a site with strong potential for preserved organics.
- 02
Drill to a depth of 2 m to reach protected subsurface material.
- 03
Analyze Martian subsurface samples with the rover's onboard laboratory.
- 04
Search for biosignatures and other evidence of past life on Mars.
Spacecraft
Rosalind Franklin rover
Mars rover designed to drill below the surface and analyze samples in situ for astrobiology science.
- Manufacturer
- European Space Agency and industrial partners
Gallery
One image from ExoMars 2028 Rosalind Franklin Rover.
Community discussion
Comments 0
No comments yet. The airlock is open.
Sign in or create an account to comment and vote.