It has become known that the European Space Agency (ESA or ESA) plans to send a second rover to Mars in the mid-2030s, while the next mission to send a rover to the Red Planet is planned for 2028. For the next mission, the rover has already been assembled and has been awaiting its flight since the cancellation of the joint ExoMars mission with Roscosmos. For the second mission, the rover and delivery system have yet to be developed to meet ESA’s specific requirements.
ExoMars mission rover. Image source: ESA
The ESA competition, called Advanced Entry, Descent, and Landing Capability on Mars, launched in mid-December 2024. A meeting of EU ministers is scheduled for November this year, at which the agency hopes to present a detailed plan for a new mission to Mars. ESA also seeks to create a temporary reserve in case the implementation of proposals encounters technical difficulties.
To send a spacecraft or station to Mars, it is necessary to select a launch window so that the mission consumes the minimum amount of fuel for the flight. These windows open approximately every 26 months. One of the closest ones will open in 2028, when NASA intends to send the Rosalind Franklin rover, left over from the ExoMars mission, to Mars. Favorable conditions for sending an expedition to the Red Planet are also expected in 2035, and ESA hopes to take advantage of this window. Other details about the upcoming mission have not yet been revealed.