Falcon Heavy chosen to launch ESA's Rosalind Franklin Mars rover amid NASA budget fight
TL;DR Summary
NASA has tapped SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy to launch Europe’s Rosalind Franklin Mars rover under the ROSA program, with NASA supplying braking engines for the descent stage and RHUs, plus rover electronics and a mass spectrometer. The late-2028 mission is backed by a $175.7 million launch contract, even as NASA’s proposed 2027 budget seeks to cancel ROSA and faces broader pressure over planetary-science funding amid strong congressional opposition.
- NASA selects Falcon Heavy to launch ESA Mars rover mission despite budget threat SpaceNews
- NASA Begins Implementation for ESA’s Rosalind Franklin Mission to Mars NASA Science (.gov)
- After a saga of broken promises, a European rover finally has a ride to Mars Ars Technica
- This life-hunting rover may be SpaceX's 1st-ever Mars launch Space
- NASA Signs $175M SpaceX Mars Deal That the White House Is Trying to Kill Space Daily
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