ESA ExoMars Rover Guest Investigator Application: The role of Fe-C interactions in global processes on Earth and Mars

Dr Christian Schroeder has been appointed as a Guest Investigator (GI) for the ExoMars Rosalind Franklin rover mission.

The rover was scheduled for launch in September 2022, and the intention was for Dr Schroeder to participate in post-launch activities and surface operations to investigate “The role of Fe-C interactions in global processes on Earth and Mars”. Unfortunately, the launch has been suspended following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While a launch in 2024 with Russia as a partner remains technically feasible, ESA now pursues a launch in 2028, which would allow for replacement of the Russian components. The GI appointment is until the end of the nominal mission.

Dr Schroeder will contribute his experience and expertise from 15 years of Mars Exploration Rover Spirit and Opportunity operations into ongoing ExoMars rover project activities. Within the ExoMars Science Working Team (ESWT), this includes helping to define ExoMars operational roles and the target definition and naming scheme; contributing to detailed mapping of the landing ellipse at Oxia Planum; selecting samples for joint analysis with all rover instruments; providing scenarios for the training of the strategic science team at the Rover Operations Control Centre (ROCC); and contributing to the writing of the Strategic Plan for the ExoMars rover. He will also contribute to scaled back activities in his role as Simulations Officer for the PanCam team and lead for the 'lessons learned from previous missions' work package for the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS) instrument teams.

Dr Schroeder aims to leverage his GI appointment to contribute to related missions of the international Mars exploration effort, including the ongoing Mars Sample Return effort.