The European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos are preparing for the2022launch of the next mission in their joint ExoMars program, which is currently undergoing final testing before shipment to Kazakhstan for a launch in September next year.

The2022astrobiology mission will see the long-awaited Rosalind Franklin rover land on Mars with the help of the Russian Kazachok lander. The lander will also perform experiments on the Martian surface after deploying Rosalind Franklin as the two craft work together to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.

After construction delays, missed Martian transfer windows, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Rosalind Franklin, Kazachok, and the other ExoMars2022mission systems have been completing important testing milestones ahead of shipment to Kazakhstan for launch on a Proton rocket next year.