MARS: ROVER
Mars: Rover
From the onset, it would be prudent to note that one huge advantage that the rover has over the orbiter is the ability to touch ground at mars and move around. Indeed, as Kortenkamp (2016) points out, a rover would be ideal for the exploration of the Martian territory at the micro level owing to the fact that it could be directed to certain features for a more close-up or interactive examination. Secondly, it should also be noted that unlike an orbiter, a rover can (and indeed is) equipped with special instrument (such as a drill) to help in the collection of crucial samples on Martian surface. Samples that could be collected for further examination and analysis are inclusive of, but they are not limited to, soil and rock samples. For instance, as NASA (2021) points out, its Perseverance Mars rover has in the past gathered rock samples for further assessment effectively enabling scientists to gain new insights about the red planet.
Landing a rover on Europa one of Jupiters moons would be a huge leap in our efforts to better understand this particular solar system body. This is more so the case when it comes to efforts to find signs of life on this particular moon. A rovers special drilling equipment would, for instance, be used to further explore and examine the moons global subsurface area. It should however be noted that there are special challenges that would likely be encountered in the landing and operation of the rover on Europas terrain. This is particularly the case given that as NASA (2019) observes, Europas terrain happens to be largely chaotic. More specifically, NASA (2019) points out that the chaotic terrain and the gray band show that Europa has been subjected to intense geological deformation. This would likely present special challenges for both landing and on-the-ground navigation.
References
Kortenkamp, S. (2016). Mars Exploration Rovers: An Interactive Space Exploration Adventure. Capstone.
NASA (2019). Chaotic Terrain on Europa. https://europa.nasa.gov/resources/120/chaotic-terrain-on-europa/
NASA (2021). NASA's Perseverance Rover Collects Puzzle Pieces of Mars' History. https://mars.nasa.gov/news/9036/nasas-perseverance-rover-collects-puzzle-pieces-of-mars-history/
