European Space Agency suspends Mars rover launch on Russian rocket

A European Mars rover built in partnership with Russia will not launch to the Red Planet this year as the European Space Agency suspends cooperation with its Russian counterpart in the wake of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

European Space Agency (ESA) officials announced the decision Thursday (March 15) following a two-day meeting of representatives of the agency’s 22 member states, all of which have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in response to its Ukraine invasion. Germany, the largest contributor to the ESA budget, suspended all science cooperation with Russia in late February.