The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.
Find out more about space activities in our 23 Member States, and understand how ESA works together with their national agencies, institutions and organisations.
Exploring our Solar System and unlocking the secrets of the Universe
Go to topicProtecting life and infrastructure on Earth and in orbit
Go to topicUsing space to benefit citizens and meet future challenges on Earth
Go to topicMaking space accessible and developing the technologies for the future
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This image shows the Rosalind Franklin rover mast with imaging suite, angled slightly downwards in an imaging test. The rover is a ‘ground test model’ – a replica rover situated at the Rover Operations Control Centre, in Turin, Italy, and used for rehearsing commands.
The camera suite sits about 2 m above surface level, and will provide panoramic views of the landscape around the rover, along with high resolution images of the surface. It can also image samples collected by the drill, before they enter into the onboard laboratory.
Towards the front of the rover in this view, in the direction in which the rover is ‘looking’ is a calibration target, which will play an essential role in calibrating the images once returned to Earth.