First British rover to search Mars for signs of life

The new contract, awarded by the European Space Agency and funded by the government through the UK Space Agency, will support a cutting-edge system that will land the Rosalind Franklin rover on the surface of Mars and support its deployment onto the planet. 

It will also sustain around 200 high-skilled jobs in the UK space sector and attract international investment, leading to wider growth in the UK economy as part of the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

The first UK-built rover’s mission is to explore the red planet and drill 2m down into the surface to hunt for signs of ancient life, such as fossilised microbes, in an effort to find out how our solar system came to be. Exploring Mars is crucial to further our knowledge of climate shifts and may help answer whether life exists beyond our home planet. 

The mission is made possible by advanced UK robotics and autonomous
navigation technologies, which can also be deployed in challenging environments on Earth, such as nuclear power plants and the deep ocean. 
 
Named Rosalind Franklin after the British scientist whose work was central to the understanding of the molecular structures of DNA, the rover will be the first European-made rover to land on Mars. 

Britain’s growing space sector is helping to bring jobs and growth to communities and organisations across the UK, with 50,000 people already employed in the sector.

It will be a top priority in the government’s Industrial Strategy, which has identified advanced manufacturing and digital technologies as key growth-driving sectors.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “This inspiring example of world-class British science will bring us one step closer to answering long-asked questions on potential life on Mars.

“Landing the first ever home-grown rover on Mars, Airbus will not only help Britain make history and lead the European space race but
also bring hundreds of highly skilled jobs and investment as we secure Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.”

The rover, entirely built in Stevenage by engineers from Airbus UK, is due to launch in 2028 with the support of NASA and land on Mars in 2030. 

It was ready to launch in 2022, until the European Space Agency (ESA) cancelled its cooperation with Russia following the illegal invasion of Ukraine.   
 
The UK Space Agency and international partners stepped up to replace Russian components in the mission, including the lander platform now under development in Stevenage and a key science instrument now led by Aberystwyth University. 

Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock DBE said: “The British-built Rosalind Franklin rover will give us vital insight into the history of Mars. This type of information from other planets can give us a better understanding of our own place in space and our planetary evolution.

“With its
unique design that enables it to acquire samples at depth of up to 2m we may get answers to some of the fundamental questions we ask about Mars. Drilling to this depth allows us to look for life away from the hostile Martian surface where radiation is likely to kill life as we know it.

“Samples gathered by the Rosalind Franklin rover may help us answer the age-old question “Are we alone in the Universe?”

Under contract from aerospace company Thales Alenia Space (TAS), which is leading the overall ExoMars mission, Airbus teams in Stevenage will design the mechanical, thermal and propulsion systems necessary for the landing platform to ensure a safe touchdown for the rover in 2030. 

This will include the landing structure, the large propulsion system used to provide the final braking thrust, and the landing gear to ensure the lander is stable on touchdown. 

The lander will feature two ramps
that will be deployed on opposite sides to enable the rover to be driven onto the Martian surface using the least risky route.

The mission is a collaborative effort from science communities not just across Europe but also in the UK, with a range of UK universities involved in the development and launch of the rover. 

For example, the panoramic camera (PanCam) system on the rover is led by scientists from University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory working with the University of Aberystwyth, Birkbeck College and the University of Leicester. 
The University of Aberystwyth is also building an infrared spectrometer for the rover, which will identify the most promising rocks to drill and test for evidence of ancient biology. 

The UK Space Agency also launched the National Space Innovation Programme’s Call 2 funding competition on 27 March. 

£17 million of grant funding will be made available, supporting businesses, universities, and other space organisations across the UK to develop and commercialise the technologies of the future that will deliver benefits to the UK economy and its citizens.