"Thales Alenia Space Secures Major Contract for ExoMars Mission"

The European Space Agency has awarded a 522 million euro contract to Thales Alenia Space to resume work on the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission, which aims to search for evidence of past or present life on Mars. The new contract will replace Russian contributions and involve the development of a new landing platform, with NASA providing aerobraking engines and radioisotope heating units. The mission is now scheduled for launch in the fourth quarter of 2028, marking a major stabilization of the program after being derailed by geopolitical issues.