Delays in the delivery of key components such as the ExoMars Rover has forced the European Space Agency (ESA) to postpone until July 2020 the second phase of its two-part ExoMars (Exobiology on Mars) astrobiology project meant to investigate the past habitability environment of Mars.

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The project is a joint effort involving ESA and the Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos).The two-year setback was announced by ESA Director General Johann-Dietrich Woerner and Roscosmos head Igor Komarov, who both agreed to move the launch to the next available launch window.

"Having assessed the possible ways to ensure successful mission implementation, the JESB concluded that, taking into account the delays in European and Russian industrial activities and deliveries of the scientific payload, a launch in 2020 would be the best solution," said ESA and Roscosmos in a joint statement.

The payload of the second ExoMars mission will have as its centerpiece a Mars rover to be built by ESA and a surface platform made by Russia on which the rover is to land.

ESA said Russian and European experts made their best efforts to achieve the original 2018 launch schedule.

The recommendations of an ESA-Roscosmos Tiger Team organized to investigate this feasibility concluded that a launch in 2020 would be the best solution considering the delays in European and Russian industrial activities and deliveries of the scientific payload. The recommendation was presented to and accepted by the Joint ExoMars Steering Board (JESB).

While ExoMars 2018 has been delayed, there is no doubting the success of ExoMars 2016, the project's first phase.

ExoMars 2016 consists of the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft housing the TGO and the Schiaparelli EDM lander. Both were successfully launched from Baikonur last March 14 and are on their way to the Red Planet. Once on Mars by October 19, 2016, TGO will map the sources of methane and other gase. On the other hand, Schiaparelli will test new key landing technologies for the 2020 mission.

ExoMars 2020 will see the landing of the Roscosmos-built lander (or the ExoMars 2020 surface platform) that will deliver the ESA-built ExoMars Rover to the surface. 

TagsExoMars, Exobiology on Mars, Mars, european space agency, Russian Federal Space Agency, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, Schiaparelli EDM lander