Airbus to deliver first British-built rover to Mars
The Rosalind Franklin rover will explore the red planet in 2030 for signs of life on Mars.
NASA's Mars Perseverance rover acquired this image using its onboard Left Navigation Camera (Navcam). The camera is located high on the rover's mast and aids in driving. This image was acquired on March 30, 2025 (Sol 1461) at the local mean solar time of 14:16:05.
© NASA/JPL-CaltechAirbus is set to land the first European rover on the red planet, as it wins £150mln to complete the touchdown system delivering the rover safely to Mars.
The contract, awarded by the European Space Agency and funded by the UK Government through the UK Space Agency, will support landing the Rosalind Franklin rover on the surface and its deployment onto the planet.
Franklin’s mission is to explore and drill 2m down into the surface to hunt for signs of ancient life.
Kata Escott, Managing Director Airbus Defence and Space UK comments, 'Getting the Rosalind Franklin rover onto the surface of Mars is a huge international challenge and the culmination of more than 20 years’ work.’
The rover, built in Stevenage, 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 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 and a key science instrument now led by Aberystwyth University.
The US was the last nation to send a rover to Mars in 2021, when NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collected samples.
