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A theoretical instrument that would search for individual microbes on the surface of Mars.

Oxia Planum lies at the boundary where water channels emptied into Mars' lowland. Observations show that the region has layers of clay-rich minerals that were formed in wet conditions some four billion years ago, likely in standing water.

Two candidates were considered for the ExoMars landing site - Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis. Both preserve a geological record of Mars' wetter past.

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Illustration of the ExoMars rover, Rosalind Franklin.Credit: ESA

Oxia Planum lies at the boundary where water channels emptied into Mars' lowland. Observations show that the region has layers of clay-rich minerals that were formed in wet conditions some four billion years ago, likely in standing water.ESA

The two candidates for the landing site of the ESA-Roscosmos rover and surface science platform that will launch to the Red Planet. Both landing site candidates – Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis – preserve a rich record of geological history from the planet’s wetter past billions of years ago. They lie just north of the equator, separated by a few hundred kilometres, in a region with many channels cutting through from the southern highlands to the northern lowlands.The background used in this image is from NASA’s Viking orbiters.NASA/JPL/USGS