Airbus UK wins a £150 million-contract to engineer landing platform that will safely deliver the first European rover on Mars. First British-built rover will explore the red planet in 2030 for signs of present and past life on Mars.
The contract, awarded by the European Space Agency and funded by the UK government through the UK Space Agency will support the development of an advanced system designed to land the Rosalind Franklin rover on Mars and facilitate its deployment on the planet’s surface.
The first UK-built rover’s mission is to explore the red planet and drill 2 metres 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 in climate shifts and may help answer whether life exists beyond our home planet.
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.
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 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.
"Getting the Rosalind Franklin rover onto the surface of Mars is a huge international challenge and the culmination of more than 20 years’ work. Rosalind Franklin will be the first Martian rover able to analyse samples from 2 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," - said Kata Escott, Managing Director Airbus Defence and Space UK.
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 2 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 US was the last nation to send a rover to Mars in 2021, when NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover collected samples on the red planet.
On Monday, Britain seeks to strengthen ties with the EU through a deal focusing on defence, trade, and travel, marking a key post-Brexit milestone.
Prime minister Keir Starmer says stronger ties with the EU will benefit British jobs, energy bills and border control. His comments come ahead of a summit in London where EU leaders will meet UK officials.
A second man has been arrested in connection with a series of arson attacks targeting properties and a vehicle linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Britain is working with the U.S. to ensure a ceasefire between India and Pakistan endures and that "confidence-building measures" and dialogue take place, foreign minister David Lammy said on Saturday.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Friday to address the recent flare-up between Islamabad and New Delhi.
U.S. President Trump and Rep. Khanna have expressed support after Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis.
Israel will begin allowing a limited amount of food into Gaza to prevent a hunger crisis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday. This comes just hours after Israel launched a new large-scale ground offensive in the territory.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office announced. The cancer has been identified with a Gleason score of 9, which, according to Cancer Research UK, indicates highly abnormal cells that are likely to grow rapidly.
Portugal's ruling centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, is on track to win the most votes in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election—but likely without securing a governing majority, according to exit polls.
Centrist candidate Rafal Trzaskowski led the first round of Poland’s presidential election on Sunday, edging ahead of nationalist rival Karol Nawrocki and setting up a high-stakes runoff that will determine whether Poland stays on a pro-European course or shifts toward a more nationalist path
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has spotted the first aurora on Mars visible to the human eye, offering a glimpse of what future astronauts might one day enjoy under the Martian sky.
China and Russia have agreed to build a nuclear-powered lunar base by 2036 at the Moon’s south pole. The International Lunar Research Station will support scientific research and resource exploration, marking a major step in their joint space efforts amid shifting global space priorities.
ChatGPT climbed to fifth place among the world’s most visited websites in April, outpacing rivals in the AI space despite increasing competition, including from China’s DeepSeek.
Plan-S has entered a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan's national space agency, Azercosmos, to support the country’s digital transformation through satellite-based solutions, particularly in rural areas and sectors like agriculture and energy.
China launched a group of space-based computing satellites aboard a Long March-2D rocket, according to state media.
U.S. President Trump and Rep. Khanna have expressed support after Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis.
Israel will begin allowing a limited amount of food into Gaza to prevent a hunger crisis, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced on Sunday. This comes just hours after Israel launched a new large-scale ground offensive in the territory.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his office announced. The cancer has been identified with a Gleason score of 9, which, according to Cancer Research UK, indicates highly abnormal cells that are likely to grow rapidly.
Portugal's ruling centre-right Democratic Alliance (AD), led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, is on track to win the most votes in Sunday’s snap parliamentary election—but likely without securing a governing majority, according to exit polls.
Centrist candidate Rafal Trzaskowski led the first round of Poland’s presidential election on Sunday, edging ahead of nationalist rival Karol Nawrocki and setting up a high-stakes runoff that will determine whether Poland stays on a pro-European course or shifts toward a more nationalist path
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