Robot Going To Mars is Having Trial Run In Scotland

Before it goes to Mars, it’s going to the Highlands. That’s right — space tech destined for the Red Planet is currently hanging out in the ancient landscapes of Lower Diabaig in Torridon, where billion-year-old rocks are offering a sneak peek into Martian geology.

The European Space Agency (ESA) is prepping for its ambitious ExoMars mission, which includes landing a robotic rover on Mars in 2028 to sniff out signs of ancient life. But before any cosmic road trips happen, scientists need to make sure the rover’s tools actually work — and where better to do that than in a location geologically similar to our planetary neighbour?

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Enter: Scotland’s north-west Highlands, where rocks haven’t been “cooked and squeezed and crushed,” according to Dr Claire Cousins of the University of St Andrews. Instead, these billion-year-old mudstones and layered sedimentary rocks have been “beautifully preserved – a slice of time.”

Dr Cousins and her team have been putting the rover’s “eyes” — cameras and life-detecting tech — through their paces. The same type of kit will eventually scan Martian terrain, searching for biosignatures hidden in layers of rock. Why does this matter? Because finding preserved signs of ancient water and life-friendly conditions is crucial in the hunt for Martian microbes — living or long gone.

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“These are perfect for showing us there was once liquid water – a habitable environment for life,” said Cousins in an interview with BBC Scotland’s Landward programme. “Also, these rocks are very good at capturing evidence of that ancient past biology. It’s sandwiched between the rocks.”

The rover, named after DNA pioneer Rosalind Franklin, is part of the ExoMars programme, which already launched its Trace Gas Orbiter in 2016. The orbiter currently sniffs out atmospheric gases that might indicate geological or biological activity — think of it as the vibe-check before boots (or wheels) on the ground.

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This isn’t the first time Scotland has rubbed shoulders with Martian fame. In fact, NASA’s Curiosity rover previously explored an area on Mars called Torridon, named after the real-life version thanks to the region’s Torridonian Supergroup — rocks that contain some of the UK’s oldest signs of life.

Mars now also features places named Muck, Wick, Sandwick, Siccar Point, and even Holyrood — making it feel like someone’s been scrolling Google Maps Scotland for intergalactic inspo.

One thing’s clear: before we find life on Mars, we’ll find the tools to detect it — and they might just be tested first among the sheep, mist and timeworn rocks of the Highlands.