- The
European Space Agency announced it will no longer be cooperating withRussia on moon missions. - The agency cited the Russian aggression in
Ukraine as the reason for halting operations.
The European
"Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine,
The statement said that "ESA's science and technology for these missions remains of vital importance" and they are working toward finding alternatives to continue these missions using other machines.
The statement said that missions Luna-25 and Luna-27 are being discontinued and that alternative plans are already underway.
The ExoMars Rover mission, which was ready for flight and was supposed to launch in September, will now be suspended, the ESA said, adding that Russian aggression against Ukraine and the resulting sanctions "represent a fundamental change of circumstances and make it impossible for ESA to implement the planned lunar cooperation."
"Instead, a fast-track study is now under way led by Thales Alenia Space of Italy to assess options for the way forward," the ESA said.