Can a robotic drill find life hidden deep beneath the Martian surface?
In short: Mars is a harsh world of extreme temperatures and surface radiation. To find signs of life, scientists are looking deeper than ever before, aiming to reach two metres below the soil to find organic molecules that have remained untouched by the planet's punishing environment.
The ExoMars program, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, is designed to tackle the immense technical challenges of landing on Mars and searching for biological evidence. A core component of this mission is the Rosalind Franklin rover, which possesses a unique scientific capability: a drill designed to penetrate up to two metres (approximately 6.6 feet) into the Martian surface. This depth is critical because it allows the rover to access soil that has been shielded from surface radiation and extreme temperature fluctuations, potentially preserving traces of organic molecules that indicate past or present life.
The mission's architecture involves complex international cooperation. For instance, NASA provides essential support through the Rosalind Franklin Support and Augmentation (ROSA) project. NASA's contributions include the mass spectrometer and main electronics for the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA), an instrument intended to detect and characterize organic molecules on-site. Additionally, NASA has provided two Electra radio communications systems for the Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), which currently aids in relaying scientific data from NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers back to Earth.
While the mission holds great promise, the journey to Mars is fraught with difficulty. The program has already faced setbacks, such as when the Schiaparelli lander—a technology demonstrator for entry, descent, and landing—lost contact with mission control shortly before its expected touchdown. Despite these challenges, the partnership remains strong; on May 16, 2024, NASA and ESA signed an agreement to expand NASA's involvement in the Rosalind Franklin mission, ensuring continued momentum in the search for life beyond Earth.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: ExoMars
- Also: ExoMars Program - NASA Science
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