UK-built ExoMars rover prototype tested in Spain ahead of 2028 mission
A UK-built ExoMars rover prototype is being tested in Spain's Tabernas Desert, controlled from Italy, before a planned 2028 launch to search for signs of life on Mars.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A prototype Mars rover built in Stevenage has been tested in Spain as part of Europe's ExoMars mission. The rover, known during trials as Charlie, was put through its paces in the Tabernas Desert, a landscape chosen because it mimics the surface of Mars. The real rover is due to be launched in 2028 and land in 2030.
Engineers are using the trials to check that the rover can work before it travels to Mars. During the tests, it is being controlled from 800 miles away in Italy, which will be the control centre for the real mission. On Mars, the rover will be about 140 million miles away. At that distance, remote steering would have a 20-minute lag, so the rover must be able to roam autonomously. The team has stressed that there is no breakdown and recovery service on Mars, so the equipment has to work and must not crash.
The rover carries a drill designed to get two metres below the surface to study rocks and look for signs or markers of life. It also has cameras on top. Its multispectral cameras can look at the environment in a range of colours beyond red, green and blue, helping scientists identify targets in advance instead of drilling aimlessly. Previous Mars missions have found indicators of alien life. Professor Schwenzer said finding life on Mars would be an absolute game-changer, and that organic molecules from any past life could be preserved pristine below the planet's radiation layer.
Much of the science has come from the UK. The rover was built in Stevenage, with contributions from the University of Aberystwyth and the Open University. The mission has been postponed twice, first by Covid and then by the war in Ukraine. With Russian technology now removed, UK science is taking the lead. The rover may move only one centimetre a second, but scientists hope it will bring them closer to answering whether life ever existed on Mars.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| A prototype rover built in Stevenage is being tested in Malaga and was remotely controlled from Italy, about 800 miles away, during tests. | |
| Because controlling the rover remotely from Earth would involve a 20-minute lag on Mars, it must be able to navigate autonomously. | Reported by ITV |
| The ExoMars mission was delayed twice, by Covid and then the war in Ukraine, and the UK took a leading role after Russian technology was removed. | Reported by ITV |
| The real rover is expected to launch in 2028 and land in 2030. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The lunchtime report is a short and accessible introduction framed as a space race and a European bid to beat the world to Mars. It focuses on the Stevenage-built prototype, nicknamed Charlie, UK science contributions, the 2028 launch and the rover's two-metre drill. It does not cover the mission's postponements, the removal of Russian technology, autonomous driving or the multispectral camera detail.
- “Next, the space race to find life on Mars.”
- “A probe that was made in Stevenage is being tested in Malaga, in Europe's bid to beat the rest of the world to explore the red planet.”
- “There's no rescue there, so the equipment has to work.”
The evening report is longer and more technical, using the Tabernas Desert as the setting for the ExoMars prototype. It explains the 20-minute control lag and the need for autonomous driving, the removal of Russian technology, the mission's two postponements and UK scientific leadership. It gives more space to the search for life, including multispectral cameras and Professor Schwenzer's hope that organic molecules could be preserved below the radiation layer.
- “The Tabernas Desert in Spain is where the ExoMars rover is being put through its paces.”
- “At that distance, remote control steering would have a 20-minute lag, so the rover needs to be taught to roam autonomously.”
- “With Russian tech now removed, UK science is taking the lead.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.