Airbus: Airbus to build lander to carry European Space Agency's rover to the Martian surface

Airbus Defence and Space has been chosen by the European Space Agency (ESA) and mission prime industrial contractor Thales Alenia Space (TAS - a JV between Thales and Leonardo) to design and build the landing platform for ESA's ExoMars mission. ExoMars involves the safe landing of the already-built Rosalind Franklin rover on the surface of the Red Planet. "Getting the Rosalind Franklin rover onto the surface of Mars is a huge international challenge and the culmination of more than 20 years' work," highlighted Airbus Defence and Space UK MD Kata Escott. "We are proud to have built the rover in our state-of-the-art Stevenage cleanroom and delighted now to develop the project to ensure its safe delivery to Mars. Rosalind Franklin will be the first Martian rover able to analyse samples from two metres below the surface in its search for past or present life. The mission will supercharge our space know-how in the UK, and will advance our collective understanding of our solar system."