ESA tests Mars rover prototype in Spanish desert

The European Space Agency (ESA) is conducting field tests for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission using a six-wheeled prototype rover named Charlie. The testing is taking place in the Tabernas Desert in Almería, Spain, due to its landscape similarity to the Oxia Planum site on Mars.

Technicians at the Rover Operations Control Centre in Turin, Italy, are operating the rover remotely via satellite link from over 1,000 kilometers away. These trials focus on autonomous navigation, obstacle detection, and scientific surface operations. The training allows the team to practice interpreting terrain and managing errors in a controlled environment where they can manually intervene—a luxury they will not have once the mission reaches Mars.

In parallel, the Spanish engineering group Sener is finalizing the qualification of the landing platform's deployment legs. The ExoMars mission, which aims to search for signs of past or present life by drilling up to two meters below the Martian surface, is currently targeting a launch in 2028.