Airbus Secures £150 Million Contract to Build Mars Lander for Rosalind Franklin Mission
The European Space Agency's mission to send Europe's first rover to Mars progresses with Airbus UK leading the development of a landing platform for the 2028 launch and 2030 landing.
- The European Space Agency (ESA) has contracted Airbus UK to design and build the landing platform for the Rosalind Franklin rover, funded through the UK Space Agency.
- The mission, scheduled for a 2028 launch and 2030 Mars landing, aims to drill two meters below the surface to search for signs of ancient life and study Mars' climate history.
- NASA is contributing critical components, including a rocket, descent module engine, and radioisotope heater units, as part of renewed international collaboration following the termination of Russian involvement in 2022.
- This marks Europe’s third attempt to land successfully on Mars, following the failures of Beagle 2 in 2003 and Schiaparelli in 2016, with significant advancements in robotics and autonomous systems.
- The mission is expected to inspire future scientists and engineers while advancing technologies applicable to extreme environments on Earth, such as nuclear plants and deep oceans.
Interesting Engineering 
Ars Technica 
The Next Web 
Open Access Government 