ExoMars Mission

The ExoMars programme is a joint endeavour between ESA and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. The primary goal of the ExoMars programme is to address the question of whether life has ever existed on Mars. The programme comprises two missions. The first, launched in March 2016, consisted of the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) and Schiaparelli, an entry, descent and landing demonstrator module. The second is planned for launch in 2028 and comprises a rover (Rosalind Franklin) and surface science platform (Kazachok).

ExoMars Rosalind Franklin

The Rosalind Franklin mission will deliver a European rover and a surface platform on the surface of Mars. The rover will travel across the Martian surface to search for signs of life, collecting subsoil samples with a 2m drill and analyse them with next-generation instruments. ExoMars will be the first mission to combine the capability to move across the surface and to study Mars at depth.

Credits: ESA, Thales Alenia Space