No European Mars mission this year, due to war in Ukraine

By JOHN LEICESTER
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe will no longer be attempting to send its first rover to Mars this year. The European Space Agency confirmed Thursday that it is indefinitely suspending its ExoMars rover mission with partner Roscosmos, Russia’s state space corporation. The ESA had previously said that the mission was “very unlikely” because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. The rover’s primary mission was to have been determining whether Mars ever hosted life. The decision to suspend cooperation with Roscosmos was taken by ESA’s ruling Council, at a meeting this week in Paris. The next launch window for Mars would be 2024. The mission has already been pushed back from 2020.