European and American space agencies are preparing the Rosalind Franklin rover to hunt for ancient microbial traces in clay-rich deposits on Mars.
Mission planners selected Oxia Planum because orbiting spectrometers identified minerals that typically form in the presence of long-lived liquid water.
Engineers have tested drill assemblies designed to pull cores from compacted sediments without contaminating samples destined for onboard analysis.
Scientists said clays can preserve organic molecules across geological timescales, making them prime targets in the search for past habitability.
Launch teams continue integrating instruments that will examine chemistry and texture before sealed tubes are cached for possible return to Earth.
Researchers cautioned that even negative results would narrow where and when Mars might have supported life.
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