The aftermath of the complicated problems between Europe and Russia regarding the invasion of Ukraine that has not stopped, finally made the mission to Planet Mars decided to be canceled. This decision is already official, after previously still being postponed.
The European Space Agency (ESA) strongly condemns Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has been carried out since February 24, 2022 until now. They ended up breaking up with the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos, which had previously partnered on the ExoMars rover mission scheduled for launch this year and three missions to the Moon -- Luna-25, Luna-26, and Luna-27.
Now, after breaking up a partnership with Russia, ESA is also trying to find partners with NASA and other private companies to realize the mission that was actually planned.
ESA is reportedly currently negotiating with a commercial aviation service provider to test the PILOT-D navigation camera, which was originally intended to be onboard the Luna-25 aircraft. The agency also said it had secured a venue for the PROSPECT month exercise.
The ESA's statement on the cancellation of cooperation with Russia on Mars came a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow would continue to launch Luna-25 in August, despite sanctions and pressure from other countries.
"We will continue the Moon program," Vladimir Putin told reporters as he visited Russia's Vostochny Cosmodrome on Tuesday with his Belarusian ally, Alexander Lukashenko.
Their joint trip marked the anniversary of the first human spaceflight which took place in April 1961, by Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.