ESA Extends Mars Orbiter's Life Ahead of Rosalind Franklin Mission
European Space | 8th November 2026
The European Space Agency has extended the operational prospects of its ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter through a software upgrade designed to preserve critical equipment ahead of the Rosalind Franklin rover mission.
The spacecraft, which arrived at Mars in October 2016, has spent a decade studying the planet's atmosphere and surface. It is also expected to provide a vital communications link for Europe's Rosalind Franklin rover, scheduled for launch in late 2028.
To help keep the orbiter operational, ESA engineers introduced updated flight software in 2024 that reduces its reliance on gyroscopes, instruments used to determine spacecraft orientation.
These components gradually wear out. The software instead makes greater use of star trackers, which identify the spacecraft's orientation by observing stars.
The change helps preserve the gyroscopes for future operations, reducing wear on equipment that cannot be repaired millions of kilometres from Earth.
Preparing for Europe's Mars Rover
The Trace Gas Orbiter will act as a communications relay between Rosalind Franklin and mission controllers on Earth, transmitting instructions and returning scientific measurements.
Developed under European leadership, including significant British engineering contributions, the rover will drill up to two metres beneath the Martian surface to search for evidence of ancient life.
Meanwhile, the orbiter continues its own scientific investigations. Its instruments have detected hydrogen chloride in the Martian atmosphere, studied atmospheric water loss and mapped areas containing subsurface water ice.
The mission has also helped investigate the continuing mystery of Martian methane, which the orbiter has not detected despite earlier reports from other observations.
ESA's October 2026 anniversary assessment highlighted how software improvements, new scientific techniques and careful spacecraft management have allowed the orbiter to remain productive well beyond its original scientific objectives.