The European Space Agency (ESA) announces that it will no longer work with Roscosmos for the launch of the Luna 25, 26 and 27 projects
Russia also ensures that it will continue with its lunar program despite the end of European cooperation
The European Space Agency (ESA) will suspend collaboration with Russia for all present and future lunar missionsstarting with the Luna 25, 26 and 27 projects scheduled for the next three years. As announced on Wednesday by the director of the European entity, Josef Aschbacher, “Russian aggression against Ukraine and the sanctions imposed represent a fundamental change in circumstances and make it impossible for Europe to continue lunar cooperation missions with Russia“.
The decision comes just a few weeks after the European agency also announced the suspension of the launch of Exomars, the other major joint mission with Russia in search of signs of life on Mars. For weeks now, the member states of the European Space Agency, including Spain, study how to adapt the takeoff of their space missions to the current geopolitical context. After the end of relations with the Russian agency Roscosmos, and the cancellation of all launches aboard Soyuz rockets, Europe is working against the clock to “redirect” your space programl.
As it has transpired this Wednesday, Europe cancels the collaboration with Russia in the lunar missions but, even so, assures that it is already looking for alternatives to launch their projects. One of the great European instruments for analyzing the lunar soil, known as PROSPECT, will take off with a private company (whose name has not yet transpired). And another of the lunar technological jewels, the PILOT-D navigation camera, will travel hand in hand with the US agency NASA. It is also shuffled consolidate the collaboration with the Japanese agency AXA for the launch of the lunar missions.
Russiafor its part, it also ensures that it will continue with its lunar program and with the missions that until now had been carried out with European collaboration. Just a few days ago, on the occasion of Cosmonautics Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin assured that Roscosmos “will resume its lunar program” and will launch all planned space projects. He also announced that, within the framework of this new space program, Russia will launch its version of the Luna 25 mission autonomously. The mission, designed to explore the lunar south pole, was due to take off this summer. Although, after the change of plans, it is still not clear if the calendar will remain intact.
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The other great space unknown at the moment is what will happen to the Exomars mission, the project in collaboration between Europe and Russia that aspired to find signs of ancient life on the reddish Martian soil. After years of contingencies and delays, the mission was ready to take off this year. But the geopolitical context and worsening relations between space agencies has paused its takeoff.
Europe ensures that all elements of Exomars are ready to travel to space: from the launcher and landing module to the Martian rover ‘Rosalind Franklin’. Even so, due to the end of the collaboration with Roscosmos, the European agency confirms, once again, that “lThe mission will not launch in September this year“. “An accelerated study led by Thales Alenia Space of Italy to assess options for the way forward,” the agency’s director said in a statement issued on Wednesday.