The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that it has held talks with Russia’s Roscosmos space agency on the mission of the rover ExoMars to search for signs of life on the surface of Mars.
The ESA press office confirmed the talks in an e-mail statement, but gave no indication of the outcome. An update could follow a scheduled meeting of the ESA Council on Wednesday, it said.
The agency said in March that it was suspending cooperation with Roscosmos on their joint ExoMars program following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and sanctions imposed on Moscow.
The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, told Russia’s TASS news agency over the weekend that ESA would consult with its members after the talks, but added that the chances of resuming co-operation were low.
“If they meet halfway and say they agree, then the mission can be accomplished,” TASS said, quoting Rogozin, adding that the launch could take place in 2024.
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