A major milestone is taking shape in deep-space exploration as NASA has selected SpaceX to launch Europe’s life-hunting rover to Mars, marking the company’s first confirmed mission to the Red Planet.
The mission will send the Rosalind Franklin rover aboard the Falcon Heavy in late 2028 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The rover is part of the ExoMars led by the European Space Agency.
Originally planned over 15 years ago with NASA as a partner, ExoMars faced multiple setbacks. NASA exited the program in 2012 due to budget constraints, after which ESA partnered with Russia. While the Trace Gas Orbiter launched successfully in 2016, the rover mission was delayed by technical issues, the COVID-19 pandemic, and later geopolitical tensions following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which led to the suspension of cooperation.
ESA then re-engaged NASA, and in 2024 both agencies formalised a new agreement. Under this, NASA will secure the launch vehicle, contribute propulsion elements for landing, provide heating systems for survival in Mars’ extreme cold, and supply advanced scientific components, including a mass spectrometer to search for organic molecules at the Oxia Planum landing site.
NASA has now approved the mission’s implementation phase, confirming the use of Falcon Heavy. The rocket, made up of 3 modified Falcon 9 boosters, has completed 11 successful launches since its debut in 2018. Its last mission in October 2024 sent the Europa Clipper toward Jupiter’s moon Europa.
This contract marks SpaceX’s first official Mars launch, aligning with Elon Musk’s long-term vision of enabling human settlement on Mars.
Alongside this, SpaceX continues developing Starship, designed for deep-space missions. While it has completed 11 suborbital test flights, it has yet to achieve orbit or demonstrate in-space refueling—both critical for Mars missions.
With Mars launch windows opening every 26 months, both Starship and Rosalind Franklin are now targeting the 2028 opportunity.
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