A joint European-Russian mission to Mars slated for this year will probably be delayed, the European Space Agency said, citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions imposed by the ESA’s member countries.
“We deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the war in Ukraine,” the agency said. “We are giving absolute priority to taking proper decisions, not only for the sake of our workforce involved in the programmes, but in full respect of our European values.”
The ExoMars program, which comprises two missions, is designed to determine whether life has ever existed on the red planet. The program began with a launch in 2016. The second leg was slated to begin in September, but the launch is “very unlikely” to occur before the end of the year, the agency said.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
