Europe’s first Mars rover is finally getting a ride to the Red Planet after years of setbacks and broken promises. The mission will now launch on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, marking the fourth different rocket planned for this unlucky rover.
This European rover has had one of the most troubled journeys to space before even leaving Earth. The mission has faced funding issues, technical problems, and geopolitical complications that kept pushing back its launch date.
Fourth Time’s the Charm
The rover was originally supposed to launch years ago, but each plan fell through. First, Europe planned to use its own rockets. Then they considered other options. Political tensions and technical issues kept derailing the mission, leaving the completed rover sitting in storage while engineers scrambled for solutions.
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy represents a fresh start for the frustrated European space program. The rocket has a proven track record of heavy launches and could finally get this rover to Mars after all the false starts.
If everything goes according to plan this time, Europe will join the exclusive club of countries that have successfully landed rovers on Mars. The mission could launch as soon as the next Mars opportunity window opens, though given this rover’s history, space fans might want to wait for the rocket to actually lift off before celebrating.
