Rosalind Franklin (rover)

Rosalind Franklin
Mission typeMars rover
OperatorESA
Websitewww.esa.int/...ExoMars
Mission duration≥ 7 months[1]
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerAstrium · Airbus
Launch mass310 kg (680 lb)
Power1200 W·h/d solar array, 1142 W·h Lithium-ion battery[2]
Start of mission
Launch date2028[3]
RocketU.S Commercial Vehicle.
Mars rover
Landing dateNET 2029
Landing siteOxia Planum
ExoMars programme

Rosalind Franklin,[4] previously known as the ExoMars rover, is a planned robotic Mars rover, part of the international ExoMars programme led by the European Space Agency and the Russian Roscosmos State Corporation.[5][6] The mission was scheduled to launch in July 2020,[7] but was postponed to 2022.[8] The Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused an indefinite delay of the programme, as the member states of the ESA voted to suspend the joint mission with Russia;[9] in July 2022, ESA terminated its cooperation on the project with Russia.[10] As of May 2022, the launch of the rover is not expected to occur before 2028 due to the need for a new non-Russian landing platform.[11][12]

The original plan called for a Russian launch vehicle, an ESA carrier model, and a Russian lander named Kazachok,[13] that would deploy the rover to Mars' surface.[14] Once it had safely landed, the solar powered rover would begin a seven-month (218-sol) mission to search for the existence of past life on Mars. The Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), launched in 2016, will operate as the data-relay satellite of Rosalind Franklin and the lander.[15]

The rover is named after Rosalind Franklin, a British chemist and DNA pioneer.

The mission received additional funding to restart and deliver complete the mission. The award went to Thales Alenia Space and scheduled for 2028.[16] In May 2024, after the program was restarted, ESA signed an agreement with NASA to procure a US launch vehicle for the mission.[3]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Astro2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Saft Li-ion Battery to Power the ExoMars Rover as it Searches for Life on the Red Planet". Saft Batteries (Press release). Business Wire. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b "NASA, European Space Agency Unite to Land Europe's Rover on Mars - NASA". Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  4. ^ Amos, Jonathan (7 February 2019). "Rosalind Franklin: Mars rover named after DNA pioneer". BBC News. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  5. ^ Vago, Jorge; Witasse, Olivier; Baglioni, Pietro; Haldemann, Albert; Gianfiglio, Giacinto; et al. (August 2013). "ExoMars: ESA's Next Step in Mars Exploration" (PDF). Bulletin (155). European Space Agency: 12–23.
  6. ^ Katz, Gregory (27 March 2014). "2018 mission: Mars rover prototype unveiled in UK". Excite.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Second ExoMars mission moves to next launch opportunity in 2020" (Press release). European Space Agency. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  8. ^ "N° 6–2020: ExoMars to take off for the Red Planet in 2022" (Press release). ESA. 12 March 2020. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Joint Europe-Russia Mars rover project is parked". BBC. BBC. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Europe ending cooperation with Russia on life-hunting Mars rover". Space.com.
  11. ^ Foust, Jeff (3 May 2022). "ExoMars official says launch unlikely before 2028". SpaceNews. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  12. ^ Drahl, Carmen (3 May 2023). "The long-awaited mission that could transform our understanding of Mars". Knowable Magazine | Annual Reviews. doi:10.1146/knowable-050323-1. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
  13. ^ Wall, Mike (21 March 2019). "Meet 'Kazachok': Landing Platform for ExoMars Rover Gets a Name - In 2021, Rosalind Franklin will roll off Kazachok onto the red dirt of Mars". Space.com. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  14. ^ "Russia and Europe Team Up for Mars Missions". Space.com. 14 March 2013. Retrieved 24 January 2016.
  15. ^ de Selding, Peter B. (3 October 2012). "U.S., Europe Won't Go It Alone in Mars Exploration". Space News. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  16. ^ Foust, Jeff (10 April 2024). "ESA awards contract to Thales Alenia Space to restart ExoMars". SpaceNews. Retrieved 11 April 2024.