ExoMars 2028 Rosalind Franklin Rover

Overview

Destination: Heliocentric N/A
Mission: Robotic Exploration

Heliocentric N/A Launch Complex 39A Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

ExoMars 2028 is a second mission of two-part European Space Agency astrobiology project to search for evidence of life on Mars. The primary objective is to land the rover at a site with high potential for finding well-preserved organic material, particularly from the very early history of the planet. The rover is expected to travel several kilometers during its mission. The European rover will be the first mission to combine the capability to move across the surface and to study Mars at depth. It will collect samples with a drill down to a depth of 2 m and analyze them with next-generation instruments in an onboard laboratory. Underground samples are more likely to include biomarkers, since the tenuous martian atmosphere offers little protection from radiation and photochemistry at the surface.

Updates

Cosmic_Penguin • April 16, 2026, 5:23 p.m.

Launch service provider and launch vehicle confirmed.


Nosu • April 9, 2024, 10:09 a.m.

NET October 2028 from Florida, launch vehicle unknown


Jay • March 17, 2022, 1:25 p.m.

Pushing to the end of the 2024 Mars transfer window following the temporary suspension of the ExoMars program by the European Space Agency.


Falcon Heavy

Family:
Configuration: Heavy

The Falcon Heavy is a variant of the Falcon 9 full thrust launch vehicle and consists of a standard Falcon 9 rocket core, with two additional boosters derived from the Falcon 9 first stage.

See Details
Specifications
  • Stages
    3
  • Length
    70.0 m
  • Diameter
    12.2 m
  • Fairing Diameter
    ―
  • Launch Mass
    1400.0 T
  • Thrust
    22819.0 kN
Family
  • Name
    Falcon Heavy
  • Family
    ―
  • Variant
    Heavy
  • Alias
    ―
  • Full Name
    Falcon Heavy
Payload Capacity
  • Launch Cost
    $90000000
  • Low Earth Orbit
    63800.0 kg
  • Geostationary Transfer Orbit
    26700.0 kg
  • Direct Geostationary
    ―
  • Sun-Synchronous Capacity
    ―

Booster Info


Unknown FH


Type: Core
Flight Proven: No

Unknown FH


Type: Strap-On Booster
Flight Proven: No

Unknown FH


Type: Strap-On Booster
Flight Proven: No

SpaceX

SpaceX

(SpX)

CEO: Elon Musk Founded: 2002 Successes: 728 Failures: 15 Pending: 137

Agency Type:

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.

INFO WIKI
ESA

European rover trains for Mars in the desert

From the ESA Blogs.

ESA

ExoMars rover twin rehearses first drive

From the ESA Blogs.

ESA

Preparing for a first drive on Mars

Before Rosalind Franklin can explore Mars, it has to get off its lander.

ESA

ExoMars rover twin rehearses first drive

Before the Rosalind Franklin rover can explore Mars, it must first get off its lander.

ESA

Rolling onto Mars - testing a rover’s lander

Before Rosalind Franklin can explore Mars, it has to get off its lander.

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Launch Complex 39A


Long March 2C
Success
1 day, 1 hour ago
Yaogan 51-07 to 09
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3/LA-1) - Xichang Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

3 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Kinetica 2
Success
3 days, 17 hours ago
SpaceSail Polar Group #17
Launch Area 140 - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

18 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites with Ku, Q and V band payloads for the G60 constellation operated by Shanghai Spacesail Technologies with…


Electron
Success
4 days ago
The Sea God Surveys (iQPS Launch 9)
Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1A - Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand

Synthetic aperture radar Earth observation satellite for Japanese Earth imaging company iQPS.


Falcon 9
Success
6 days, 13 hours ago
Starlink Group 15-18
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


GSLV Mk II
Success
6 days, 23 hours ago
IRNSS-1L (NVS-03)
Satish Dhawan Space Centre Second Launch Pad - Satish Dhawan Space Centre, India

This is a replacement satellite for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. The constellation will provide India with an alternative to GPS …


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 3 days ago
Starlink Group 15-16
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 8A
Success
1 week, 5 days ago
SatNet LEO Group 28
Commercial LC-1 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of China

A batch of 9 Low Earth Orbit communication satellites for the Chinese state owned SatNet constellation operated by the China Satellite Network Group.…


Falcon 9
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Starlink Group 15-15
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USA

A batch of 27 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.


Long March 4B
Success
1 week, 6 days ago
Yaogan 53-07 to 09/56-19 to 21
Launch Area 94 (SLS-2 / 603) - Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

6 Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.


Long March 6A
Success
2 weeks ago
Yaogan 50-03
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

The Yaogan 50-03 is a Chinese military “remote sensing” satellite of unknown purposes.