Rosalind Franklin rover may be SpaceX's first Mars launch

NASA has chosen SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to launch Europe's Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, with a planned late-2028 liftoff.

NASA has selected SpaceX's Falcon Heavy to carry Europe's Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, with a planned late-2028 liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. The rover is part of the European Space Agency's ExoMars program and the mission has been delayed for years. Early cooperation included NASA and later Russian partners, but ESA ended most Russian partnerships after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In 2024 NASA and ESA renewed collaboration and NASA agreed to procure a commercial launch and supply key hardware for the rover. Key details: - NASA selected the Falcon Heavy as the launch vehicle and plans a late-2028 liftoff from Kennedy Space Center. - Rosalind Franklin is part of ESA's ExoMars program and is described as Europe's first Mars rover dedicated to searching for signs of past life. - The mission experienced delays from parachute testing issues and COVID-era supply-chain problems, and was affected by the end of ESA–Russia cooperation after 2022. - Under the 2024 agreement, NASA will provide launch procurement, part of the rover's propulsion system for landing, heaters for electronics, and specialized electronics including a mass spectrometer for the Mars organic molecule analyzer. - Falcon Heavy uses three modified Falcon 9 first stages and reusable hardware; it debuted in February 2018 and had its most recent flight in October 2024 to send the Europa Clipper probe toward Jupiter. Summary: The announcement moves the Rosalind Franklin mission into its implementation phase and gives SpaceX its first contracted Mars launch after years of delays. The mission is planned for late 2028 and includes specific NASA contributions to the rover's hardware and launch. Starship development and SpaceX's separate plans for Mars remain distinct from this contract, and their timelines are not determined here.