ExoMars rover twin rehearses the one-way drive onto Mars
A full-size twin of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover has practised leaving its landing platform on simulated Martian terrain. The ground campaign used slopes and obstacles to rehearse a critical choice: controllers must select the safer ramp after landing, and the rover cannot return to the platform once it drives off.
Science··Midday
A one-way departure is rehearsed on Earth
Amalia, the full-size test twin of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover, has rehearsed driving from a landing platform onto simulated Martian ground in Turin, Italy. The ground campaign prepares the rover’s first move after landing.[1], [2]
More than 20 departures were completed over two months at ALTEC, a space engineering facility. Teams from spacecraft builder Thales Alenia Space operated the representative rover and a platform mock-up. The actual Rosalind Franklin surface drive is planned for 2030.[1]
Two exits leave controllers a choice
The lander carries ramp pairs at its front and rear. A rock or slope could obstruct one direction at touchdown, leaving controllers on Earth to choose the safer route after landing. Orbital imagery cannot show every nearby obstacle. Once the rover drives off, it cannot return to the platform.[1]
Slopes and reduced loading challenge the twin
An overhead lifting device carried two-thirds of Amalia’s 300 kilogram Earth weight to approximate Martian gravity. A hydraulic platform imposed a 20-degree incline, while obstacles were placed beneath the ramps and departures tried in both directions. Polish space company Astronika made the 3 metre aluminium ramps with a honeycomb grip surface. Eric Zekri, ESA’s rover team leader, described the exit direction as the first crucial decision.[1]
