Russia, Europe to sign ExoMars accord by year's end

Russia told European Space Agency officials last week it will partner with Europe on the ExoMars orbiter and rover missions after NASA dropped out of the project in February due to budgetary concerns, according to the Russian space agency. Artist's concept of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter and descent demonstrator. Credit: ESA The leaders of the space agencies - Roscosmos chief Vladimir Popovkin and ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain - met in Moscow on Friday to discuss the joint Mars missions, which are due to launch in 2016 and 2018. ESA calls the 2016 and 2018 missions ExoMars. ESA began courting Russia...