A new rover set to visit Mars and collect the first ever samples from the planet to be brought back to Earth will be designed in Stevenage by Airbus (www.airbus.com), following the award of a £3.9 million contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) (www.esa.int).

The sample-fetch rover will retrieve samples left by NASA’s Mars 2020 rover and transfer them to an ‘ascent vehicle’. This will put them into orbit above the planet, and a separate spacecraft will bring them back to Earth.

Science Minister Sam Gyimah said: “This remarkable new project, which will see samples brought back from Mars to Earth for the first time, demonstrates Britain’s world-leading scientific and engineering innovation. Winning this contract builds on the UK’s expertise in space and robotics, which the Government is supporting through the UK Space Agency and other investments.

“One rover bound for Mars in 2020 is already under construction by Airbus in Stevenage, and the knowledge and expertise honed there will now be applied to designing this new mission, which aims to safely deliver Mars material to Earth.

“The UK is a founding member of ESA, which is independent of the European Union. This means that the UK’s membership will continue after we leave the EU, delivering economic benefits and ensuring that British companies, universities and other organisations continue to be at the forefront of space exploration, satellite manufacture and technology applications.”