The UK firm Airbus has won a £150 million contract to complete the touchdown system, landing the rover safely on mars. 

The touchdown system will deliver the first British-built rover, the Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars, which will then explore and drill 2 meters down into the surface, looking for signs of past and present life. 

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Peter Kyle said: Landing the first ever home-grown rover on Mars, Airbus will not only help Britain make history and lead the European space race but also bring hundreds of highly skilled jobs and investment as we secure Britain’s future through our Plan for Change.” 

The announcement will sustain around 200 high-skilled jobs across a vast UK space sector with 50,000 employees, attracting international investment across a key growth-driving industrial sector. 

The contract was awarded by the European Space Agency, and highlights the importance of the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology for UK growth in the Labour Government’s Plan for Change. 

More information can be found on the DSIT website here