From Almeria to Mars: Tabernas desert doubles as the Red Planet for ESA's rover landing tests

The European Space Agency has chosen the Tabernas desert for a series of tests this Thursday, during which an experimental rover will be used to validate technologies and procedures planned for the ExoMars mission.

The landing system developed by Sener consists of four legs that will remain folded during the journey to Mars, then deploy automatically shortly before the descent platform reaches the planet's surface.

During the demonstration, the 'Charlie' test vehicle will be operated remotely from Turin. Teams will test its autonomous navigation capabilities and recreate some of the scientific activities that the Rosalind Franklin rover will carry out on Mars.

The mission aims to search for possible signs of life on Mars and study the planet's geochemical environment. The rover will be able to drill to a depth of up to two metres, obtain samples from beneath the surface and analyse their composition. This will allow it to reach material protected from radiation and the harsh conditions on the Martian surface.

Sener's involvement has grown in importance following the reconfiguration of the ExoMars mission. After cooperation between the ESA and Roscosmos ended, European industry developed new systems within a tight timeframe to replace Russian components originally planned for the descent and landing phase while keeping the target launch date of 2028.

The landing gear is a critical component of the mission's final stage. The four legs will deploy in two pairs immediately after the front heat shield separates, using non-explosive actuators.

Sener said tests had confirmed that the deployment can be completed in less than a second, preparing the platform for landing.

The company designed and manufactured the four legs, which were developed to withstand the demanding mechanical and environmental conditions of the journey to Mars and the landing itself. The system will work alongside the parachutes and engines that reduce the spacecraft's descent speed before it reaches the Martian surface.

It has successfully passed the various verification campaigns carried out during its development, including structural, environmental and functional tests conducted by Sener and the programme's main contractors, Thales and Airbus. The qualification model is now undergoing final tests before the flight units are delivered, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

"The successful completion of the test-model campaigns and the advanced stage of qualification represent a decisive step in our participation in the mission," said Iñaki Pinto, Sener's director of Space and Science.

"For Sener, this is once again a critical system. It must remain folded during the journey, deploy quickly and reliably at a crucial moment in the mission and absorb the final impact while ensuring that all the instruments function correctly on the Martian surface."

The landing gear forms part of Sener's contribution to the ExoMars mission. The company is also responsible for the mechanisms and separation adapter for the entry capsule, as well as its UHF communications antennas.

The rover will also incorporate other equipment developed by Sener, including the positioning and movement system for the drill, the mechanism for deploying the solar panels and antennas operating in the X and UHF bands.

Sener has also designed and manufactured the umbilical release mechanism, known as the URM, in Poland. It provides the electromechanical connection between the rover and the descent module. The mechanism will supply electrical power to the vehicle after the platform lands on Mars and must remain operational in the extreme Martian environment.

ExoMars will be the third Mars mission in which Sener has participated, according to the Spanish group's statement. The company previously supplied antenna-pointing mechanisms for NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers, which were part of the Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020 missions, respectively.

Sener said its previous experience with systems designed to operate on the Martian surface underpinned its involvement in the Rosalind Franklin mission.