Welsh technology tested in desert ahead of Mars mission

Nation.Cymru staff

Technology developed at Aberystwyth University is being tested in a Spanish desert ahead of a mission to search for signs of past life on Mars.

Researchers from the university’s physics and computer science departments are taking part in trials of a prototype of the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover, which is due to launch in 2028.

The exercise in the Tabernas Desert, in south-eastern Spain, brings together scientists and engineers from across Europe to test equipment, software and the procedures needed to operate the rover.

The desert’s dry climate and rocky terrain allow teams to assess how the technology performs in conditions resembling those on Mars.

Aberystwyth researchers are helping develop two instruments that will guide scientists towards promising places to investigate on the planet’s surface.

PanCam, a panoramic camera system, is led by University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory. Enfys, an instrument that uses infrared light to identify minerals, is led by Aberystwyth University.

Together, they will look for clays and other materials formed in the presence of water. On Earth, these can preserve organic compounds and may hold clues to ancient microbial life.

For the trials, the university has supplied test versions of both instruments, allowing researchers to assess their performance without risking the equipment intended for space.

Dr Helen Miles, a senior lecturer in computer science at Aberystwyth, is helping develop and test software used during the exercise. Some of it will also control instruments and process data during the mission.

She said: “Exercises like these are a crucial step in preparing for planetary exploration missions. They allow us to evaluate technologies, software and operational procedures in a demanding environment that shares many characteristics with Mars.

“It’s exciting to see systems developed at Aberystwyth University contributing to an international mission of this scale.”

Turin

While the rover is being tested in Spain, its activities are directed from the Rover Operations Control Centre in Turin, Italy.

Aberystwyth postgraduate researcher Harry Marsh is part of the operations team.

He said: “From the Rover Operations Control Centre in Turin, we are sending commands and overseeing activities as they would be conducted during a real Mars mission, working closely with colleagues from across Europe to put the rover through its paces.

“Taking part in this campaign has given me first-hand experience of the complexity of planetary exploration and the teamwork needed to make these missions a success.”

The Rosalind Franklin rover is part of the European Space Agency’s ExoMars programme, which will investigate Mars’s geological history and environment as well as search for evidence of past life.

Aberystwyth researchers have worked on the mission for 15 years, contributing expertise in physics, computer science and robotics.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.