The Andalusian Desierto de Tabernas is a bizarre landscape of impassable sand and scree, steep slopes and dried-up riverbeds. As the only desert on the European mainland, the region provided a striking backdrop for the late 1980s Indiana Jones films and is considered by researchers to be particularly Mars-like: the perfect location for a Mars mission field test. In preparation for operating ESA’s Rosalind Franklin rover on Mars from 2030 onwards, a closely related rover prototype has now spent eight days exploring the Spanish desert and collecting data. The test drive was controlled and coordinated from ESA’s rover control centre in Turin, Italy. MPS researcher Christian Schröder was part of the on-site team and MPS researcher Fatma Yesil Sahan was attending remotely.
The field test was less about proving the rover’s ability to traverse through difficult terrain. Such tests were completed long ago, and the six-wheeled rover has proven its excellent “off-road qualities”. Rather, the team wanted to simulate remote steering of the rover from the control centre and the synergy of the Science Operations Working Group (SOWG). During the future Mars mission, approximately 100 scientists and engineers will navigate the rover through the rugged terrain and examine the most interesting sites, review and evaluate the transmitted data, and use this information to plan the next steps. Such a complex choreography must be rehearsed.
“We won’t have the luxury of time, so we must make each day on Mars count. Our challenge was to digest all the new information and use it to decide what needs to be done, where to go and what instruments to use,” explained Jorge Vago, ExoMars project scientist.
Mars Rover Charlie
The star of the field test was Charlie, a Mars rover prototype from Airbus. Charlie resembles ExoMars’ Rosalind Franklin rover in several key ways: It has the same software, comparable cameras and ground-penetrating radar, and moves in the same way. However, some of the scientific instruments are missing. Unlike in a real-life scenario on Mars, Charlie also had company during the field test: Several team members followed its exploration drive from close range.
The operations in the control centre were also designed to be as realistic as possible during the field test. MPS scientist Christian Schröder took on the role of Long-Term Planner. The geologist advised the on-site science team on their daily decisions bearing in mind the mission’s overall, long-term scientific goals. “Whether the rover’s route is well chosen only becomes clear once the data arrives at the control centre. My job is then to assess whether the data is suitable for answering the mission’s scientific questions — and, if necessary, to have ideas for alternative targets ready,” said Schröder, describing his role on the team.
Twenty-two years ago, Schröder had already witnessed the landing and operation of the American Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory control centre in Pasadena, California. Just as back then, it was an incredible experience to see how, during the current field test at the control centre, the team worked together more smoothly day by day and how all processes became more efficient.
As part of the SOWG team, Fatma Yesil Sahan’s role was to analyze and discuss scientifically relevant features provided by the camera teams and shape the short-term planning of the mission.
Test Environment in the Control Centre
The next field test in the desert is scheduled for next summer. Until then, training will continue, this time with the Amalia rover, which “inhabits” a simulated Martian landscape at the control centre in Turin, located inside Altec’s premises. These tests will also focus on operating the rover’s Mars Organic Molecule Analyser (MOMA), a mass spectrometer coupled with a gas chromatograph, which was developed and built under the leadership of the MPS. The instrument can identify organic molecules in soil samples and is therefore crucial for the search for traces of possible life on Mars. Christian Schröder and Fatma Yesil Sahan will work behind the scenes and help to prepare the test scenario for the training of other scientists.
Rosalind Franklin is scheduled to land on Mars in 2030 as part of the ESA’s ExoMars mission, supported by a large European industrial consortium led by Thales Alenia Space. Equipped with eight scientific instruments, the rover will search for remnants and traces of life. Using a drill, it can collect and analyze soil samples from depths of up to two metres.
