“As an intergovernmental organization with a mandate to develop and implement space programs with full respect for European values, we deeply deplore the human victims and tragic consequences of aggression against Ukraine”, highlighted the European Space Agency (ESA) today in a statement.
“While we recognize the impact on scientific space exploration, ESA fully aligns with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its Member States,” the organization adds.
The ESA board of directors, meeting in Paris on 16 and 17 March, assessed the situation resulting from the invasion of Ukraine by the Putin’s government concerning ExoMars Mission and unanimously recognized the current impossibility of carrying out continued cooperation with the Russian agency roscosmos.
In September, the ExoMars rover Rosalind Franklin was scheduled to be launched in collaboration with Roscosmos to look for signs of life on Mars.
The organization also commissioned the ESA Director General, Josef Ashbacherwhich takes the appropriate measures to suspend the cooperative activities related to the suspension of this project and authorized it to carry out a accelerated industry study to further define the options available to deliver the ExoMars rover.
Cancellations in space transport
Following Roscosmos’ decision to withdraw its team from the European spaceport in French Guiana, all planned launch missions with the Russian spacecraft were also suspended. Soyuz.
These are essentially four institutional missions for which ESA is the launch service procurement entity (Galileo M10, Galileo M11, Euclid and EarthCare), along with an additional institutional release.
Consequently, Aschbacher has begun an assessment of possible alternative launch services for these missions, which will include a review of the first exploration flights of ariane 6.
According to the statement, Member States will receive a robust launch manifest for the launch needs of ESA missions, including spacecraft originally scheduled to be launched with the Soyuz from Kourou, French Guiana.
Continuity of the International Space Station
about the program International Space Station (ISS) continues to function as before. The main objective is to continue the safe operations of the ISS, including maintaining the safety of the crew.
Based on a first analysis of the technical and programmatic implications for all other activities affected by the war in Ukraine, the ESA Director General intends to convene an extraordinary session of the council in the coming weeks to present specific proposals for Member States to take a decision.