The ESA announced on Thursday that it would be impossible to
continue cooperating with Russia on the ExoMars mission. A Russian rocket had
been due to transport a European-made rover to Mars later this year.
"In the very near future we will start working on the
implementation of a mission to Mars," said Dmitry Rogozin, head of
Roscosmos, Russia's space agency.
Interfax quoted him as saying he did not think a rover would
necessarily be needed since Russia's existing landing module, which is designed
to transport the rover, would be able to carry out the required scientific
work.
Rogozin said there were "big doubts" about what
the ESA could do without Russia, which already had a rocket, a launch site and
the landing module. The ESA would need at least six years to develop its own
module, he said.
In response to sanctions Roscosmos has already suspended
cooperation with Europe on space launches and announced it would stop supplying
rocket engines to the United States. © Reuters