The Tabernas desert in Almería, Spain, is being used as a testing ground for the ExoMars mission, according to reports from ABC, El País, Canal Sur and Ideal. The arid landscape is serving as a stand-in for the Martian surface, where the Rosalind Franklin rover will eventually search for signs of life. ABC describes the area as a large simulator for life on Mars.
The testing work involves a rover referred to as "Charlie," according to El País, which reports that the search for life on Mars begins with this machine in the Almería desert. Canal Sur likewise reports that Tabernas is serving as a test field for the rover that will look for life on Mars.
Interest in the mission has extended beyond the test site. UAL News reported strong attendance at an event explaining the ExoMars mission and the Rosalind Franklin rover. Ideal also covered the desert's role, describing Tabernas as "Mars on Earth."
The reports frame the Spanish desert as a practical proving ground for equipment and procedures that will be used far from Earth. The details available do not specify the timing of the tests or the results so far.
What to watch next: further reporting on how the Tabernas trials inform the Rosalind Franklin rover's readiness for its mission.
