How Europe's Rosalind Franklin rover navigates the treacherous, sandy terrain of Mars

The ExoMars mission aims to uncover signs of life on Mars. This video explores the rover's advanced locomotion and scientific instruments, demonstrating how it overcomes the challenges of Martian soil and extreme conditions to analyze the planet's history following its 2030 arrival.

The Rosalind Franklin rover is designed to avoid the pitfalls of previous missions, where wheels became trapped in loose Martian soil. To navigate difficult terrain, the rover utilizes a unique wheel-walking locomotion mode alongside autonomous navigation software. Once positioned, the rover uses its PanCam suite, mounted two metres above the surface, to capture high-resolution visual data of the surrounding landscape.

The mission prioritizes identifying minerals formed in water, which serve as primary targets for drilling. The infrared spectrometer, Enfys, works in tandem with PanCam to determine mineral composition. Notably, the rover is equipped to drill up to two metres below the surface, allowing it to collect samples shielded from harsh radiation and extreme temperatures. This mission serves as a critical test for technologies required for future European planetary exploration.

Source: Scouting the Red Planet | ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission (episode 1)