I worked on (a very small part of) the ExoMars rover (now called the Rosalind Franklin[0]).
It was supposed to launch in 2018, then was pushed to the early 2020s on a Russian rocket. For obvious reasons, it got pushed again, now launching in 2028.
The state of the world isn't great for space exploration, but I'm hopeful this mission will be revived at some point in the future.
Would it make sense to send better robotic analyzers there than to bring the samples back here? Fighting gravity and kilometers involves spending many billions on return; a lesser amount could be spent on surface activities.
We would need to move people and cargo back and forth eventually, so best to get started on that ASAP. Not to mention sample return has been done from the Moon & asteroid to great success, its a proven concept on how to get the most from the samples.
jumploops · · focus · HN ↗
It was supposed to launch in 2018, then was pushed to the early 2020s on a Russian rocket. For obvious reasons, it got pushed again, now launching in 2028.
The state of the world isn't great for space exploration, but I'm hopeful this mission will be revived at some point in the future.
[0]<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin_(rover)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosalind_Franklin_(rover)
fireflymetavrse · · focus · HN ↗
[1] <a href="https://spacestatsonline.com/launches/beo" rel="nofollow">https://spacestatsonline.com/launches/beo
imglorp · · focus · HN ↗
m4rtink · · focus · HN ↗