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A Spanish desert will stand in for Mars in rover trials

Source dated 17 Sept 2026 · Brief by 20 Today
Selected 19 Sept 2026, 15:53 BST · 24-hour selection ended 20 Sept 2026, 15:53 BST

ESA is preparing field tests in which a prototype rover in Spain will receive instructions from a control centre in Italy.

Imagined six-wheeled test rover on dry rocky terrain, not an exact mission design

The agency’s 17 September notice describes trials with the six-wheeled Charlie vehicle near Tabernas on 1 October. A satellite link will connect the rover to Turin. The tests support work on autonomous navigation for the Rosalind Franklin mission; they are planned terrestrial trials, not a rover already operating on Mars.

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European Space Agency ↗ (opens a new tab)

Upcoming engineering field trial. The illustration is not an exact design of the prototype.

AI-assisted original summary, checked against the linked source on 19 Sept 2026, 15:48 BST. Illustration is AI generated and does not document the event.

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