The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) officially awarded a $175.7 million contract to Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) on April 20, 2026, to provide launch services for the Rosalind Franklin Mars rover. The mission, a cornerstone of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ExoMars program, is scheduled to depart from Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a launch window in late 2028. This announcement marks the first time SpaceX has been contracted for a mission to the Martian surface, representing a significant expansion of the company’s deep-space portfolio.
The Rosalind Franklin rover is designed to search for evidence of past or present life on Mars. It features a unique drill capable of reaching depths of two meters, where organic material may be preserved from the planet's harsh surface radiation. The mission faced significant delays and technical hurdles following the 2022 dissolution of the ESA’s partnership with the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, which was originally slated to provide the launch vehicle and landing platform. NASA’s commitment to provide the launch via SpaceX, along with critical landing components, effectively restores the mission's viability.
Under the terms of the firm-fixed-price contract, SpaceX will be responsible for spacecraft integration and launch operations. While the specific launch vehicle was not named in the announcement, the mission’s mass and trajectory requirements are consistent with the capabilities of the Falcon Heavy rocket. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the Kennedy Space Center, will oversee the mission's technical integration. In addition to the launch, NASA is contributing throttleable braking engines and radioisotope heater units to the ESA-led project to ensure the rover can survive the descent and the extreme temperatures of the Martian environment.
The contract award follows a period of budgetary tension in Washington. The White House had previously proposed the elimination of funding for NASA’s participation in the ExoMars program in recent fiscal year budget requests. However, the finalization of this $175.7 million deal indicates that Congressional appropriators and NASA leadership, including Administrator Bill Nelson, have prioritized the international partnership. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher has previously emphasized that the 2028 launch window is a vital opportunity for the mission, as the alignment of Earth and Mars only allows for such launches every 26 months.
This mission represents a strategic milestone for SpaceX. Although the company has a long history of delivering payloads to the International Space Station and launching lunar missions, the Rosalind Franklin contract is its first official assignment to reach another planet. The collaboration integrates SpaceX’s commercial launch capabilities with NASA’s specialized landing technology and the ESA’s scientific instrumentation, establishing a new framework for international cooperation in planetary exploration.