Igor Mitrofanov of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences said Russia is delaying its own Mars spacecraft launches until a favorable time arrives. Speaking to Russian media outlet KP.RU, the head of the institute's nuclear planetology department explained that Moscow continues to study the planet through international scientific cooperation.
Mitrofanov stated that Russia is not holding back on sending independent probes to Mars because of a lack of technical capability. He emphasized that scientists are simply waiting for a more suitable period to initiate standalone planetary flights.
The Space Research Institute, known as IKI and headquartered in Moscow, serves as the primary scientific organization of the Russian Academy of Sciences for planetary exploration and space physics. Interplanetary missions to Mars require precise orbital alignment between Earth and Mars, creating narrow launch windows that open approximately once every two years.
International scientific partnerships
While direct Russian missions to Mars remain on hold, Russian scientific equipment is participating in foreign lunar projects. A Russian instrument designated PmL-Ch7 is installed aboard China's Chang'e-7 spacecraft, which is designed to explore the South Pole of the Moon. China's Chang'e lunar program includes a series of robotic missions focused on surface exploration and resource mapping.
Russia also maintains active scientific involvement in American robotic lunar exploration. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a NASA spacecraft mapping the lunar surface from orbit, relies on the Russian-built LEND instrument to map the flux of neutrons from the Moon. The LEND detector measures neutron emissions to help identify hydrogen deposits and potential water ice beneath the lunar soil.
The lunar South Pole has drawn intense interest from major space agencies worldwide because deep, permanently shadowed craters in the region are believed to harbor water ice reserves. Water ice could provide vital life support and rocket fuel propellant for future long-term lunar outposts.
Future lunar plans
The Russian space research community is also looking ahead to expanded robotic operations on the lunar surface. Earlier in September, Anatoly Petrukovich, the director of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that planetary rovers equipped with manipulators represent the initial step toward populating the Moon with autonomous ERIC robots.
Robotic arms and manipulators on surface rovers allow scientists to collect soil samples, operate equipment, and construct infrastructure remotely on extraterrestrial bodies. Russia's space program continues to prioritize shared instrument payloads and international robotic partnerships while evaluating conditions for future standalone planetary endeavors.
