Both agencies have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to include important US contributions, such as the launch service, elements of the propulsion system needed for landing on Mars, and heater units for the Rosalind Franklin rover.

The mission, which is due to launch in 2028, will search for past and present signs of life on Mars.

Two years ago, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, ESA discontinued its cooperation with the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

The ESA writes:

“Besides the launch service and throttleable braking engines, the main update is that NASA in partnership with US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide the lightweight radioisotope heater units (RHUs) for the rover. Led by the UK, work on the development and certification of a European RHU to fly on the mission will continue in parallel. The ESA GSTP/ENDURE programme (ENDURE standing for ‘European Devices Using Radioisotope Energy’) will deliver an end-to-end European capability for radioisotope heat and power systems by the end of this decade.”

The Rosalind Franklin mission’s next milestone will a system preliminary design review for the rover, which is taking place in June 2024.