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
Go to topicThank you for liking
You have already liked this page, you can only like it once!
Engineers from ESA and Airbus came together in June 2023 for a test campaign that simulated the fetching operations of the now descoped Sample Fetch Rover.
The joint team used an upgraded version of the Sample Fetch Rover’s acquisition system to mimic the fetching of the sample tubes, from detection to storage, in an autonomous way. All the elements that would have been involved in that particular phase of the Mars Sample Return campaign were part of the test.
Three high-definition cameras mounted on top of a mast and on the wrist of the breadboard worked in tandem to detect a sample tube. Once the system determined its location and orientation, a robotic arm with a gripper grasped the tube. Visual confirmation of acquisition was next, and finally the tube went into a dedicated tray for safe storage.
The test campaign lasted a week and took place at the Airbus site in Stevenage, UK.
More about Mars Sample Return: