Russia’s Roscosmos state space corporation and the Russian Academy of Sciences are exploring the possibility of exploring Mars, according to a representative of the state corporation who spoke with TASS. The proposal considers the groundwork laid by the ExoMars 2022 mission, as well as the potential for attracting foreign partners.
However, this announcement comes on the heels of the European Space Agency (ESA) rejecting Russia’s proposals to launch the ExoMars mission in 2024 or 2026. The state corporation clarified that Roscosmos is aware of ESA’s plans to launch the rover without Russia’s participation in October 2028.
The ExoMars-2022 mission was designed to search for signs of ancient life on Mars but suffered a setback last year after the parachute system of the descent module failed during testing. Following the failure, the European Space Agency terminated its cooperation with Roscosmos on the program.
As a result, the Russian scientific instruments installed on the European rover of the ExoMars-2022 mission will be dismantled as part of the work on the joint return of equipment.
Despite this, Roscosmos remains optimistic about future Mars exploration opportunities. However, Russia may not be involved in the upcoming rover launch in 2028. Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov stated that neither the scientific community of Europe nor Russia would benefit from the cessation of cooperation on Mars exploration.
In conclusion, while Russia’s Roscosmos state space corporation and the Russian Academy of Sciences continue to explore the possibility of exploring Mars, it remains uncertain how the groundwork laid by the ExoMars 2022 mission will be utilized in future missions, especially without the cooperation of the ESA.