- \n
- ESA\u2019s new Rosalind Franklin rover<\/strong> will land on Mars in 2028. Its primary mission is to search for evidence of past or present Martian life. <\/li>\n
- The region it will land in, Oxia Planum, has even more clay<\/strong> than previously thought.<\/li>\n
- Clay deposits might indicate the site of an ancient Mars ocean.<\/strong> So scientists are encouraged that this is a good place for a life search.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
You deserve a daily dose of good news. For the latest in science and the night sky, click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter.<\/p>\n
Rosalind Franklin rover to search for life on Mars<\/h3>\n
There\u2019ve been a total of six robot rovers creeping across the surface of the world next door, Mars. Only two \u2013 Curiosity and Perseverance \u2013 are active today. But, in 2028, the Rosalind Franklin rover will join them. It\u2019ll ride to Mars on the European Space Agency\u2019s ExoMars mission. Its goal is specifically to search for signs of microbial life. And its target is the Oxia Planum region on Mars. <\/p>\n
Why this region? It\u2019s known to be rich in clay minerals, which require water to form and might preserve traces of ancient life. Now, researchers in France have published a new study that makes this region even more interesting. They said on June 4, 2026, that the clay deposits here are even more extensive than previously thought.<\/p>\n
The findings bolster the chances that Rosalind Franklin might at last find traces of life on Mars.<\/p>\n
The researchers published their peer-reviewed paper on April 19, 2026 (with a version of record on June 2, 2026) in the journal Icarus<\/em>.<\/p>\n
\n
New research reveals vast clay deposits at our Rosalind Franklin rover landing site, pointing to a once water-rich Mars and strengthening the search for signs of past life.Read more: www.esa.int\/Science_Expl\u2026@science.esa.int @exploration.esa.int<\/p>\n
\u2014 European Space Agency (@esa.int) 2026-06-04T09:00:48.950Z<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It\u2019ll search in a region of vast clays<\/h3>\n
The new study shows that Oxia Planum\u2019s rich clay deposits aren\u2019t constrained to that region.<\/p>\n
They also reach into Mawrth Vallis, which is 185 miles (300 km) away. Overall, the deposits stretch about 373 miles (600 km) and rise over 0.6 miles (1 km) in altitude. <\/p>\n
\nThis video shows the geological map of Oxia Planum on Mars. It identifies 15 different geological features in the region. Video via Animation: P. FAwdon, The Open University. Images: CaSSIS\/ HiRISE\/ HRSC\/ ESA.<\/em><\/p>\n
![\"Rosalind](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/06\/clay-deposits-Oxia-Planum-Mawrth-Vallis-MRO-NASA-ESA-June-2-2026.jpg\")
View larger. | Orbital view of the Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis regions on Mars. ESA\u2019s new Rosalind Franklin rover will explore here. A new study suggests more clays here than we knew. That\u2019s good news for scientists searching for Mars life. Image via NASA\/ Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE camera\/ JPL-Caltech\/ ESA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Its search site is also very old<\/h3>\n
The clays in Oxia Planum are the older than those in Mawrth Vallis. They appear to be about 4 billion years old, nearly as old as Mars itself (4.5 billion years). So the clays in Mawrth Vallis came later in Mars\u2019 history. <\/p>\n
And, since Oxia Planum\u2019s clay deposits are extremely ancient, they might have the best chances of preserving ancient life on Mars, if it existed. Lead author In\u00e9s Torres Aur\u00e9 at the University of Lyon in France said:<\/p>\n
\n
We now have a new timeline: Oxia Planum\u2019s clays formed first, about 4 billion years ago, predating those at Mawrth Vallis. By landing at Oxia Planum, we\u2019ll uncover a large-scale process that shaped ancient clays across Mars.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Evidence for an ancient ocean?<\/h3>\n
The abundance of clays means there was a lot<\/em> of water in Oxia Planum long ago. This region might have been part of Mars\u2019 northern ocean, for which there has been growing evidence in recent years. Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist, said:<\/p>\n
\n
Because the area is so large, we are not talking about a localized occurrence, but rather a regional or global process that would have required immense amounts of water. <\/p>\n
We are targeting the oldest deposits in the sequence, which makes the potential implications for the geology and early climate of Mars very relevant for the Rosalind Franklin mission in its search for life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Or \u2026 another explanation?\n<\/p>\n
Or the clays might have formed in groundwater that once flooded the region. Which scenario is most likely? The Rosalind Franklin rover should be able to figure that out.<\/p>\n
The rover will be able to determine the ground truth<\/em> in relation to findings made by the various spacecraft in orbit around Mars. Elliot Sefton-Nash, ExoMars deputy project scientist, said:<\/p>\n
\n
We will use the instruments on board to ground truth the discoveries made from orbit, learn about the ancient environment in which they formed, and if they preserve any evidence of Martian life. <\/p>\n
Warmth and nutrients on an early Martian seabed could have provided habitats for early life.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
In\u00e9s added:<\/p>\n
\n
To prepare for the rover\u2019s arrival, we are working to map the full extent of these deposits, identify any additional pauses in their formation, and quantify their duration. This will provide deeper insights into Mars\u2019s early history before the rover starts working on the surface.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![\"Smiling](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2026\/06\/Ines-Torres-Aure-University-of-Lyon.png\")
In\u00e8s Torres Aur\u00e9 at the University of Lyon in France led the new study about clays on Mars. Image via GitHub.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The rover will track environmental change<\/h3>\n
Not only do the data in the new study record the more extensive clay deposits, they also document environmental change over time. The OMEGA instrument on ESA\u2019s Mars Express orbiter and the CRISM instrument on NASA\u2019s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter studied the mineralogy of the region. They found that the mineral layers in both Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis were quite similar.<\/p>\n
And at the boundary between the two main clay units (bodies), scientists identified a paleosurface. That\u2019s the remnant of an ancient, exposed surface that was heavily cratered and later covered by younger clay deposits. It also marks where sedimentation paused and then shifted in water chemistry and mineralogy across both sites. In\u00e9s noted:<\/p>\n
\n
We have identified a pause in deposition, which is quite puzzling because it implies a period of minimal surface activity (except for meteorite bombardment), followed by a shift in water chemistry and mineralogy in both Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Overall, these findings support earlier ones suggesting that Mars experienced an intermittently wet climate.<\/p>\n
Last year, scientists announced that finding evidence of past life might be easier than first anticipated. Rockfalls and ancient floods could have brought organic materials close to the landing site, where the rover can easily sample them. That\u2019s an exciting possibility!<\/p>\n
In 2019, ESA named the rover for scientist Rosalind Franklin. She was one of the great seekers of the mysterious structure of deoxyribonucleic acid, more commonly known by its abbreviation DNA. Her work helped reveal DNA\u2019s famous double helix structure in the early 1950s.<\/p>\n
Bottom line: The Rosalind Franklin rover will land on Mars in 2028. It\u2019ll explore Oxia Planum, a region rich in clays. New evidence suggests the clays are even more extensive than thought. And clays are a good place to search for life.<\/p>\n
Source: Clay continuity between Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis<\/p>\n
Via European Space Agency<\/p>\n
Read more: Rosalind Franklin rover: Finding Mars life might be easy<\/p>\n
Read more: ExoMars rover named for Rosalind Franklin<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
\n - The region it will land in, Oxia Planum, has even more clay<\/strong> than previously thought.<\/li>\n