Roscosmos and Russia’s Academy of Sciences Advance Mars Exploration Plans After ESA Rejection
In the wake of ESA signaling a pause or withdrawal from the ExoMars collaboration, Roscosmos and experts from the Russian Academy of Sciences have begun outlining flight plans that advance Mars exploration. They are actively examining how to move forward, including the potential to involve foreign partners if opportunities arise, leveraging the groundwork laid by the ExoMars project. This approach reflects a pragmatic continuation of Russia’s long-standing ambition to study the Red Planet and to contribute to international knowledge with a diversified set of missions. Source: TASS.
Officials emphasized that the loss of the ExoMars-2022 mission does not mean a halt to Mars research. Instead, it marks a pivot toward alternative pathways that could sustain momentum in planetary science. The message from the state company and the Academy highlights ongoing assessment of mission architectures, collaboration models, and funding scenarios, with a view to maintaining a robust program that could attract international partners and align with global scientific goals. As part of this strategy, attention is being given to the balance between Russian capabilities and potential joint ventures, while still respecting European partners and their plans. Source: TASS.
Russia acknowledges ESA’s stated plan to independently deploy a rover around 2028, a timeline that may unfold two to four years after the originally envisioned ExoMars-2022 program. The Roscosmos government team underlines that such timelines are a matter of careful coordination, engineering readiness, and international diplomacy. The agency also extends well wishes to ESA for success in its own mission development, signaling a constructive stance in a field where cooperation and competition often travel hand in hand. Source: TASS.
Former Soviet cosmonaut Alexander Alexandrov offered a practical assessment: the earliest Mars missions may rely on redundancy for safety, possibly requiring two separate spacecraft. The idea is that the second craft could serve as an emergency return option, enhancing crew safety during long-duration interplanetary journeys. This perspective reflects ongoing considerations of mission reliability, life support, and contingency planning as planners weigh multi-vehicle architectures for crewed exploration. Source: TASS.