Unprecedented Drilling on Mars
The European Space Agency's (ESA) ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover is set to launch in 2028, taking the search for alien life to new depths.
The rover will be capable of drilling two meters below the Martian surface, allowing it to collect evidence of organic compounds and bio-markers that may be hidden underground, shielded from harmful surface radiation.
"Drilling to this depth is unprecedented on Mars"
Researchers at the UK's Aberystwyth University have designed the Enfys infrared spectrometer, a major component of the project, which is currently undergoing field testing in a simulated Martian environment in Italy.
The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover is the first mission explicitly designed to search for evidence of past or present Martian life, with ESA operators remotely controlling the rover across the Red Planet.
Author's summary: ESA's new rover to drill deep into Mars.