Mars rover rolls down the ramp

A full-size model of the rover tackled slopes, boulders and Mars-like gravity as it stepped onto a simulated martian terrain during a two-month test campaign on Earth.

Amalia, a twin model of Rosalind Franklin, rehearsed over 20 times driving off the landing platform and reaching the surface. This will be one of the most critical tasks of the ExoMars rover mission.

The test recreated some of the challenges Rosalind Franklin will face on the Red Planet, from reduced gravity and a 20-degree incline to uneven ground and obstacles beneath its ramps.