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Credit: Airbus<\/p>\n Credit: Airbus<\/p>\n
NASA has delivered the first braking engines for the European Space Agency\u2019s (ESA) Rosalind Franklin mission to Mars. The braking engines are one of three major contributions NASA has committed to the mission, along with launch services and Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) to keep the rover\u2019s instruments warm during cold Martian nights.<\/p>\n
The US space agency\u2019s involvement in the mission is a relatively recent development, the result of ESA\u2019s decision to cut ties with its original partner. That break came in March 2022, when the agency suspended all work on the mission following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, leaving the rover without the Russian-built landing platform and Proton-M launch service around which the mission had been designed.<\/p>\n
Europe is managing the replacement of the bulk of the Russian-built hardware, including the landing platform<\/a>, under a \u20ac522 million contract awarded to Thales Alenia Space in April 2024. For its part, NASA will supply three key elements for the mission under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in May 2024. However, there has been uncertainty about NASA\u2019s contribution, with the agency\u2019s FY2027 budget request appearing to cut funding for its involvement.<\/p>\n During a press briefing following ESA\u2019s 347th Council meeting, Daniel Neuenschwander, the agency\u2019s director of human and robotic exploration, gave an update on NASA\u2019s contributions to the mission. Neuenschwander explained that the launch service had been confirmed, with NASA announcing in April 2026 that it had selected a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket<\/a>. He gave an equally positive update on the braking engines, stating that \u201cthe first braking engines\u201d had been delivered. Finally, on the status of the RHUs, Neuenschwander was more guarded.<\/p>\n \u201cThe third and last topic is the procurement of RHUs. And there we are on a very good path,\u201d said Neuenschwander. \u201cThis is still something which needs to progress until launch, and we will have to take a number of decisions but I can underline that also here it looks good so far.\u201d<\/p>\n