Exploring Mars
The UK Space Agency is collaborating with several space agencies around the world on joint exploration missions to the International Space Station, the Moon and to Mars. Here in the UK, scientists and space industry are contributing to these missions in lots of ways, including building some of the rovers, probes and the scientific instruments they carry.
On this page you can discover more about Mars and some of the incredible missions that the UK is working on. You will also find lots of resources like activities, information packs, videos, profiles on real people involved in the missions and information to help you if you are interested in a space career! The information and resources on this page are suitable for teachers, parents, students, STEM ambassadors, STEM clubs and anyone leading groups. Perhaps you will one day work on a mission to Mars!
NASA Perseverance Rover
Key Points:
Mission name: Mars 2020
Space agency: NASA
Rover name: Perseverance
Built by: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Objective: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples
Launched: 30 July 2020
Landed: 18 February 2021
Landing site: Jezero Crater, Mars
UK Space Agency Perseverance Film
The UK Space Agency partnered with the artist Luke Jerram, who has created a 7-metre artwork of Mars, similar to his incredible Museum of the Moon and Gaia artworks that 9 million people have seen round the world! The Mars artwork was suspended in the archway of Hinze Hall in the Natural History Museum, where scientists will be analysing samples collected by the Perseverance Rover, which the Sample Fetch Rover will help to return to Earth in 2030. Perseverance is searching for the markers of life so it is amazing to see Mars in the home of the history of all life on Earth.
The UK Space Agency asked Ellie Sleightholm, a student studying mathematics and very keen to one day have a space career, to pose questions to Luke Jerram and the engineers and scientists involved in Perseverance and other Mars missions. Watch the film to discover what she found out about the missions, why we want to explore the Solar System, what the people involved studied and what the future might hold for space exploration. Ellie also asked about how they chose their careers and what new space jobs might need to exist in the future. More detailed profiles on the people in the film can be found in the downloadable resources that accompany the film.
Perseverance resources
We have supporting resources to the film: A downloadable version of the film along with a downloadable PDF supporting sheets featuring: Information on the Mars artwork, Information on the Perseverance mission, Activities and discovery ideas, Profiles on the scientists and engineers in the film, Links to space career information and more.
ESA ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover
Key points:
Mission name: ExoMars
Space agency: ESA and Roscosmos
Rover name: Rosalind Franklin
Built by: Airbus UK
Objective: Seek signs of ancient life, using a 2m drill
ExoMars Rover: from concept to reality
The ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover has been named after the famous scientist who discovered of the structure of DNA, one of the fundamental building blocks of life. Her discovery helped us understand life on Earth and now the rover named after her will be searching for signs of life on Mars!
The rover was built in the UK by Airbus, with many different people with different jobs contributing to the mission. While there are engineers and scientists working on the ExoMars mission, there are so many other people that are vital to making a space mission successful. There are project managers, people who build websites and help inform the world about the mission, people who run and manage the complex buildings needed, experts in materials, computer and software experts, data analysts and so much more.
Sample Fetch Rover - Mars Sample Return
Key points:
Mission name: Mars Sample Return
Space agency: ESA
Rover name: Sample Fetch Rover
Built by: Airbus UK
Objective: Collect samples gathered by Perseverance and return to Earth
Launch: 2026
Landing: 2028
Landing site: Jezero Crater, Mars
Mars Sample Return
Airbus UK will be building the Sample Fetch Rover as part of the Mars Sample Return Mission. This mission will try to gather the samples that the NASA Perseverance rover will have collected and then launch them back to Earth so that they can be studied here. Scientists on Earth can analyse the samples in much more detail than any analysis the rover can do remotely on Mars.
The complex mission involves several different vehicles to collect the samples, launch them from the surface of Mars, rendezvous in Mars orbit and transfer the samples, transit to Earth and finally safely land the samples in 2030.
NASA’s Perseverance rover has carried a meteorite that originated on Mars back to the red planet. The meteorite was held at the Natural History Museum and will be used to calibrate one of the instruments on the rover. Scientists at the museum will hopefully analyse the samples that return to Earth in 2030. Exploration missions can take may years to achieve and new people are needed to take on where others have left. Perhaps one of those people could be you!
Exploring Mars Resources
