Airbus' $194 Million Mars Rover Landing Platform Venture

Airbus' UK unit has been awarded a $194 million contract by the European Space Agency to construct a Mars rover landing platform. In related aerospace news, Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo are in preliminary talks with EU regulators about potentially merging their satellite businesses, though outcomes are not anticipated soon.

The UK division of Airbus has secured a substantial $194 million contract from the European Space Agency to engineer the landing platform for a Mars rover, with the landing scheduled for 2030. This British effort marks a significant milestone, as it will be the first British-made rover on Mars.

The original Mars mission, set for September 2022, was postponed due to geopolitical issues stemming from the Ukraine conflict, which led to the cancellation of the rover's Russian rocket launch. The Rosalind Franklin rover was previously built by Airbus engineers between 2018 and 2019.

In another development, European aerospace giants Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo have entered talks with EU regulators—and crucially with member states France and Italy—about uniting their satellite businesses. This initiative, currently in the "pre-notification phase," is yet to secure any official endorsement, and stakeholders hope for more favorable regulatory feedback than past proposals.

(With inputs from agencies.)