The plan called for a Russian Proton-M rocket to launch the Russian-built lander that to deliver the Rosalind Franklin rover to the surface of Mars.

[8] In March 2022, amidst the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Space Agency voted to suspend their cooperation with Russia on the ExoMars mission.

[4] Russia previously evaluated the option of using a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) to power the science instruments,[14] and a radioisotope heater unit (RHU) to provide thermal control while on the frozen Martian surface.

[15] After a review by an ESA-appointed panel, a short list of four sites was formally recommended in October 2014 for further detailed analysis:[16][17] On 21 October 2015, Oxia Planum was chosen as the preferred landing site for the ExoMars rover, now the Rosalind Franklin rover, assuming a 2018 launch.

[18][19] ESA convened further workshops to re-evaluate the three remaining options and in March 2017 selected two sites to study in detail: After deliberation, ESA selected Oxia Planum to be the landing site in November 2018.