The European Space Agency (ESA) has announced that, due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, immediately terminates the cooperation with the Russian space agency Roscosmos and for future Russian Luna robotic missions to explore the Moon.
In this context, ESA has already requested the removal of the European Pilot D landing camera from the Luna 25 mission, which is scheduled to be launched later in 2022. As ESA Director General German Asbacher said, “I have already contacted the head of Roscosmos and I requested that the camera be stored securely until it is returned to ESA. “
However, ESA Director of Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker said the removal of the camera would not affect Russia’s ability to carry out the planned lunar mission.
Her decision ESA It also means that its cooperation with Roscosmos in the next Luna 26 and 27 missions is stopped. to take lunar samples from the moon’s subsoil. Now, according to Asbacher, the drill will “fly” to the Moon integrated in a mission of the US Space Agency (NASA).
Also, according to Space.com, ESA announced that it is looking for an alternative to the small Vega rocket, which is based on engines made in Ukraine by the Ukrainian company Yuzhmash based in the city of Dnipro, which is being bombed by Russia. Although no Russian strike has been reported on the Yuzhmash plant so far, ESA does not want to continue its cooperation with the Ukrainian company, looking for a safer solution in the future. Existing engines meet the needs of ESA Vega missiles for 2022 and 2023, but from 2024 there will be a shortage if no alternative source of engine power is found quickly, either inside or outside Europe.
Regarding the Euro-Russian ExoMars mission to Mars scheduled for this year, which is not going to be launched, as ESA has already terminate – also because of Ukraine – cooperation with Russia, Asbacher said a study was already under way – led by French-Italian aerospace company Thales Alenia Space – on possible ways for ESA to proceed without Roscosmos in the coming years, with proposals expected to be presented by July. However, as all alternatives will have additional costs, the Member States (including Greece) will have to decide the fate of the European rover “Rosalind Franklin” which has a drill for digging up to two meters deep in the Martian subsoil.
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