Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical crossroads that shape SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company and Neuralink. I'm your host Will Walden. Europe's upcoming Mars mission will feature a groundbreaking nuclear powered device utilizing the radioactive decay of a Mercium the maintain the
operational temperatures now. The European Space Agency, the ESA, announced these plans on May 16th in conjunction with detailing an agreement with NASA, solidifying the US agency's support for this mission.
The mission, aiming to deploy Europe's first Mars Rover, Roseland Franklin, initially collaborated with Russia's Ross Kosmos, but they separate ties in 2022 following Russia's invasion of the Ukraine. Now radio isotope heater units are RH US, which use the heat generated by radioactive decay to warm spacecraft components, eliminate the need for solar panel generated electricity for heating purposes. Historically, ESA has relied on RH US using plutonium 238 from
US or Russian sources. Since 2009, ISA has ursued an independent program to develop its own Rhus and radioisotope batteries, fostering technological self-reliance. Now, the European RH US will warm components of the mission's landing platform, which will deploy to Rover onto Mars. Now this platform willpower the Rover before it activates its
solar panels. Ensuring the Landers longevity offers a safeguard against potential issues during the Rover's deployment, according to Orson Sutherland, ESA's group leader for Mars exploration at the European Space Research and Technology Center, or the ESTEC, or the Aztec in the Netherlands. How ESA's heater units will pioneer the use of Emir Serum 241, a byproduct of plutonium decay that provides less power per gram but is more abundant and cost effective, Sutherland
remarked. Developing and launching a European RHU will be a first for ESA. In a major achievement. Now, the Roseland Franklin Rover, designed to search for ancient life on Mars, features a 2m drill capable of reaching deep beneath the Martian surface. Initially set for a launch in 2018, the mission faced delays due to technical issues and COVID-19 before geopolitical tensions with Russia further
impacted the schedule. And with Russ Cosmos initially responsible for the Landers construction, ISA had to redesign the mission to proceed without Russia now. This led to a new European design Lander and NASA's involvement to bridge the remaining gaps in the mission.
Plan on new agreement, NASA will provide the launch capability for XO Mars in 2028 and breaking engines for the Lander as well as radioisotope heater units for the Rover and the development of Ameri. CMRH use falls under the European devices using Radioisotope Energy or the ENDURE project. Now, given the radioactive materials involved, these devices require thorough
certification before launch. By the late twenty 20s, the ENDURE project aims to develop amyrosium batteries that can generate electricity for spacecraft, not just heat. These advancements are planned in time for a series of ESA Moon missions in the early twenty 30s. Unlike RH US, these nuclear batteries or radioisotope thermoelectric generators convert radioactive to decay
heat into electrical power. The National Nuclear Laboratory in Cella Field, UK, will produce the amyrosium pellets for these heaters and batteries, utilizing spent nuclear fuel from UK civil power plants. It's crucial for ensuring a domestic supply of radioisotope materials for future space missions. Now. Sutherland noted that having its own RH US will enable ESA to explore previously inaccessible areas of space and extend
mission durations. They said the ability to keep flight systems warm in shaded areas, such as craters or during the night will allow previously inaccessible areas to be explored and extend mission lifetime. The Exo Mars program, costing about $1.3 billion, aims to launch the Roseland Franklin Rover in around 2028, buoying by a $360 million investment from European countries. This support was essential after ESA terminated its partnership with Russia in 2022 after the Ukraine invasion.
Ros Cosmos, once a primary partner providing the Proton launch vehicle in critical parts of the Rovers landing platform, faced isolation due to international sanctions, and NASA's involvement has been pivotal in securing an American launch provider and necessary technology to facilitate the Rovers landing on Mars. Now, NASA's Associate Administrator of the Science Mission Directorate expressed support for the collaboration, saying that NASA supports the
Rosalind Franklin mission to continue the strong partnership between the US and Europe to explore the unknown in our solar system and beyond. Originally slated for a 2022 launch, the missions delay was exacerbated by geopolitical tensions. Launch windows to Mars are critical, available only every 26 months when Mars and the Earth aligned favorably for travel. And the new 2028 launch date gives ESA the time needed to develop the Rover and secure launch vehicle.
Now, this is another thing the orbiter, the Trace Gas Orbiter, launched in 2016 as part of the EXO Mars mission's first phase, and it's provided valuable data, including detailed measurements of methane in the Martian atmosphere. Now this data has been used to create high resolution maps of Mars, identifying water race deposits and potential landing
sites for future missions. This new Rover, the Roseland Franklin, stands out to its advanced scientific experiment equipment, including its ability to drill 2 meters below the Martian surface. This depth enables the Rover to access ice samples shielded from surface radiation and extreme temperatures, increasing the chances of finding well preserved organic life giving molecules.
Now primary instrument on the Rover, the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer, will search for life's building blocks within these deep samples. Rosalind Franklin's Rover's unique drilling capabilities and onboard samples laboratory have outstanding scientific value for humanity's search for evidence of past life on Mars. Now, Russ Cosmos's isolation has heightened due to the Ukrainian conflict and result in sanctions altering the landscape of International Space
collaboration. The agency has been focused on increasing its space militarization capabilities and strengthening its partnership with China, who is also expanding a space program. The new geopolitical landscaping space is marked by intensified competition and collaboration shifts, with both the US and China vying for international
partners. China's recent mission to the moon, including payloads from Sweden, France, Italy and Pakistan. It's a growing space race right now, and the ESA's Mars mission is a significant step in space exploration, advancements in nuclear power technology, working with NASA. And as the agency looks ahead to future missions, the developments and partnerships established for the Roseland Franklin Rover will play a critical role in expanding our understanding of Mars and
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