The ExoMars mission to transport Europe to Mars has been cancelled. The European Space Agency (ESA) said in a press release that the Russian-European mission has come to a standstill due to the suspension of cooperation with the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The ExoMars mission, scheduled for September 2022 using the Russian rocket Soyuz and the Russian lander, planned to send an ESA rover to Mars. However, the European Space Agency also made statements for the ExoMars mission, right after it said it had severed its ties with Russia.
ExoMars mission canceled due to Ukraine war
European Space Agency (ESA) management council evaluated the situation with Russia for ExoMars due to the invasion in Ukraine. The latest statement released by ESA revealed that it is impossible to continue cooperation with Roscosmos for the Mars exploration mission ExoMars.
ExoMars launch originally scheduled for 2020, due to the Covid-19 outbreak It was delayed until 2022. However, the postponement of the 2022 launch has again jeopardized the Mars mission, whose orbit is suitable for launch only once every two years. ESA has to rush to restart the canceled ExoMars mission and find alternatives to Russian equipment.
ESA rover Rosalind Franklin would launch from Baikonur in Kazakhstan with a Soyuz rocket and land on Mars using the Russian-made Kazatchok lander.
In his previous statements, ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said that after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they would work with Russia for the International Space Station and ExoMars programs, but that they would follow the war closely. But the ESA has announced that it will no longer stand up to continued pressure.
In addition to ExoMars, all other ESA missions based on the use of the Soyuz rocket have been suspended. These included the European constellation Galileo, the Euclidean science mission, and two satellites for the Euro-Japanese Earth-observing mission EarthCARE.
What do you think about the cancellation of the ExoMars exploration mission? You can share your views with us in the comments section and on the SDN Forum.
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