Bruno the Mars Rover

ExoMars is ESA's programme to explore the martian environment. The ExoMars Rover mission will pioneer new ways to explore the surface of Mars and carry out advanced science, looking for evidence of past or present life. The success of the scientists’ experiments depends on the six-wheeled rover vehicle, which is designed and built by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage, UK. The ExoMars Rover will find its way over the terrain using autonomous navigation to avoid obstructions rather than relying on direct control signals from Earth. 

The rover will be equipped with a drill able to penetrate the surface down to two metres to take rock samples which will have been protected from harsh solar radiation. The samples will be analysed on board the rover and the results sent to Earth. A series of three prototypes have been built since 2007 to thoroughly evaluate the design of the locomotion and navigation systems and to perfect improvements.

Each prototype is given a nickname by the development team. Pictured is Bruno, the second prototype.