A Mars rover is named after Rosalind Franklin

After fielding more than 36,000 ideas from the public, the European Space Agency has settled on a name for its new ExoMars rover: Rosalind Franklin. Franklin was a British chemist and X-ray crystallographer whose work was critical to discovering the structure of DNA. She also made key contributions to the study of coal, graphite, and viruses. “This name reminds us that it is in the human genes to explore,” ESA Director General Jan Woerner said. The rover named for Franklin — which will be used to drill down into the soil of Mars and analyze its makeup — will launch next year.