Two Days and a Half – How ESA Brought a Lost Mars Mission Back to Life

The Episode In March 2022, Europe’s ExoMars Rosalind Franklin mission was only weeks from launch when it was suddenly grounded. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ended years of cooperation, and left one of ESA’s most ambitious Mars projects without a ride, without partners, and without a plan. From inside ESA’s Mission Control in Darmstadt, Sara Melloni watched everything freeze. As Mission Operations…