Destination Mars​

Mars may once have been much more like Earth, with conditions suitable for life. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter is making the most detailed inventory of the martian atmosphere to date, while ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover mission will search for evidence of past and present life on the Red Planet thanks to its drill – the first one to dig two metres below the martian surface – and scientific instruments.

ESA and international partners are also planning to bring Mars rocks back to Earth through the Mars Sample Return mission – the next step in the robotic exploration of Mars in preparation of possible human missions.