The European Space Agency (ESA) is closing down the Russian-European mission ExoMars and is looking for alternatives to launch four more missions by refusing to cooperate with Roscosmos due to the war with Ukraine, AFP reports.
This became known after the ESA Council meeting.
Statement from ESA Council, 17 March 2022, on the situation arising from the war in Ukraine regarding #ExoMars and other ESA programmes 👉 https://t.co/NpNCZ3ov2S
— ESA (@esa) March 17, 2022
The ExoMars mission planned to launch an ESA rover on Mars in September with a Russian rocket and lander. The ESA Board has instructed its Director to rapidly explore the possibility of renewing ExoMars and alternatives to other missions.