Summary
NASA confirmed that SpaceX will launch the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover, possibly by late 2028, using a Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida. This mission has experienced many delays due to changing partnerships, funding issues, technical problems, and the conflict caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Key Facts
- The Rosalind Franklin rover is a European project aiming to explore Mars.
- Originally planned for launch in 2009, the mission has been delayed many times.
- The project was renamed ExoMars and involved a partnership between NASA and ESA starting in 2009.
- NASA pulled out in 2012 due to budget issues, and ESA then partnered with Russia to provide launch vehicles and landing systems.
- The Russian Proton rocket successfully launched the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2016, which still orbits Mars and collects data.
- The rover launch was delayed to 2020 and then late 2022 due to parachute test failures and the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused ESA to end its partnership with Russia, removing Russian components and instruments from the mission.
- NASA and SpaceX have now stepped in to launch the rover on a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.
