Episode 2 – Below the surface

Watch the second episode of the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission – Europe’s ambitious exploration journey to search for past and present signs of life on Mars.

This episode starts with Rosalind searching for traces of life below the martian surface using a ground penetrating radar and a set of cameras.

The rover will dig, collect, and investigate the chemical composition of material collected by a drill. Rosalind Franklin will be the first rover to reach a depth of up to two metres deep below the surface, acquiring samples that have been protected from surface radiation and extreme temperatures.

Rosalind Franklin uses the WISDOM radar to help scientists on Earth decide where to drill. Besides identifying the most promising targets for sampling, WISDOM will help the rover avoid potential hazards, such as the presence of buried rocks that could damage the drill.

The scientific eyes of the rover are set on the Panoramic Camera suite known as PanCam. The Close-UP Imager (CLUPI) sits on the side of the drill box, a camera designed to acquire high-resolution, colour, close-up images of outcrops, rocks and soils. PanCam and CLUPI will help scientists find the most promising spots to drill. These instruments can also investigate very fine outcrop details and image drill samples before they are sent into the rover’s laboratory.

After the rover retracts its drill, the sample is in a special chamber at the tip.  Under the reduced martian gravity (38% of Earth’s), the material drops onto a special “hand” that the rover can extend to the front to collect drill samples.

The mission will serve to demonstrate key technologies that Europe needs to master for future planetary exploration missions.

The ExoMars rover series show the rover and martian landscapes as true to reality as possible for a simulation.

Check ESA’s ExoMars website and our frequently asked questions for the latest updates.

Credits: ESA

Production: Mlabspace for ESA

3D animation: ESA/Mlabspace

Music composed by Valentin Joudrier

Watch all the videos from the ExoMars Rosalind Frankin mission series.

Access the related broadcst quality video material.