06/10/2026
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For eight days, a Mars rover prototype travelled 220 metres across a barren landscape, following commands from a science team some 1200 kilometres away.
The exercise was an important rehearsal for what the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover might encounter when it lands on the Red Planet in 2030. It brought together a rover prototype called Charlie and around 100 scientists and engineers from across Europe in September. Together, they choreographed how the robotic explorer could move safely, exercise exploration strategies and maximise the scientific results.
Their playground was the rugged Tabernas desert in south-eastern Spain, a location chosen partly for its resemblance to a Mars landscape.
“While this setting is famous for Indiana Jones and spaghetti western movies, we came here because we could build a scenario using the local geology and mineralogy that was realistic enough to stress-test our science operations processes for interpretations and decision-making,” explains planetary scientist Elliot Sefton-Nash.
Roving on
Charlie, built by Airbus, ran the same guidance, navigation and control software that will allow the Rosalind Franklin rover to reach a target while avoiding hazards.
The science team at the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) in Turin, Italy, relied on images, subsurface radar and spectral analysis from the rover to identify the most promising locations to search for evidence of life – Rosalind Franklin’s main mission objective.
“The rover worked like a charm. We even left Charlie to explore on its own, and on day six, it travelled more than 60 metres without any operator at the wheel with less than a 1% navigation error,” says Luc Joudrier, Rosalind Franklin rover operations lead.
The key to success was teamwork. “There was a lot of coordination between the teams at the control centre and operators in the field. Constant planning and scientific interpretation were happening in parallel. We were so immersed that at times we felt that we were on Mars!” adds Luc.
The simulation posed a realistic mission scenario that challenged the teams working remotely.
On one occasion, the steepness of a slope was difficult to gauge from the data sent by the rover.
“Where we thought there was an elephant, the operators in the desert just saw a mouse,” explains Chiara Lombardi, ExoMars rover and lander system engineer.
The team initially took a conservative approach driving on the safe side, then used a digital elevation map to confirm it was a gentle incline.
On another day, the rain interrupted the tests in the desert.
“We also learned to re-plan and reassign priorities when faced with the unexpected,” she adds.
Control room to rover
While the rover sent self-location parameters, measurements and images from the field, planners and scientists at ROCC worked around the clock to prepare for the next day, just as they will during the real mission.
“We won’t have the luxury of time, so we must make each day on Mars count. Our challenge was to digest all the new information and use it to decide what needs to be done, where to go and what instruments to use,” explains Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist.
The data came from the prototype of Rosalind Franklin’s suite of scientific instruments: cameras for far and wide angles (PanCam) as well as close-ups (CLUPI), a spectrometer (Enfys) and a ground-penetrating radar (WISDOM). These instruments are designed to detect clues to ancient microbial activity.
Once a plan was agreed, the team sent the commands to the rover and followed up, keeping track of targets, routes, results and scientific discussions.
What lies ahead
Exercises like this field trial are a crucial step in preparing for planetary exploration and building up the teamwork needed to make the Rosalind Franklin mission a success.
The 20-day test campaign was a unique first-hand opportunity to process daily data downlinks and evaluate technologies and procedures in a realistic, demanding environment.
The next field test, in summer 2027, will add more complexity, including new challenges from Mars orbit involving the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to get even closer to a real mission.
“It was very rewarding to witness instrument teams and rover operators working together like a single, efficient discovery machine,” says Jorge Vago.
“This field test was a huge success. We learned a lot that will help us improve for the next one and update our plans in a mission-like setting. When Rosalind Franklin rover lands on Mars in 2030, we want the team to feel like doing rover operations is as familiar as riding a bike,” concludes Elliot.
This test was organised in Spain by Airbus UK, with The Open University managing the action in the control centre in Italy. Thales Alenia Space is the industrial lead for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission, responsible for the development of the rover module, including key subsystems such as the drill, the analytical laboratory and the mission management software. Airbus provides the rover vehicle, the landing platform and the guidance, navigation and control software, while ALTEC hosts and operates the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) in Turin, Italy.