Media representatives are invited to express their interest in attending Mars rover field trials taking place in the Tabernas desert, Almería, Spain, on 1 October 2026.
The tests, carried out by ESA, Airbus and European partners, will use a six-wheeled Mars rover prototype known as Charlie to test technologies and operations relevant to ESA's Exomars Rosalind Franklin Mars mission.
During the campaign, the rover will be operated remotely in the Tabernas desert via satellite link from the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC) in Turin, Italy. The teams will also validate the rover's latest autonomous navigation system and simulate scientific activities that the Rosalind Franklin rover will perform after landing on Mars in 2030 as part of its search for evidence of past or present life.
The field trials will offer participating journalists opportunities to observe and film the rover operations and interview experts from ESA, Airbus and the European research teams involved in the campaign.
