Space & Astronomy

Russia to send space probe to Ganymede

By T.K. Randall
March 7, 2013 ·  4 comments

Image Credit: NASA The first funding for Russia's Jupiter research project will be awarded next year to the tune of 30 million rubles ( $300,000 ) which will help to pay for initial R&D and mockups. "The project has been included in the Federal Space Program until 2015; next year, first funding for the project will be supplied, though so far it is not very large," said Roscomos' Viktor Voron.

If all goes to plan the mission would launch by 2022 and include an orbiter and a lander that would explore Ganymede for three years while making detailed observations. If it succeeds then it will be the first spacecraft ever to land there with the potential for it to be the first probe to land on any of Jupiter's moons if it happens before a proposed NASA mission to Europa.[!gad]The first funding for Russia's Jupiter research project will be awarded next year to the tune of 30 million rubles ( $300,000 ) which will help to pay for initial R&D and mockups. "The project has been included in the Federal Space Program until 2015; next year, first funding for the project will be supplied, though so far it is not very large," said Roscomos' Viktor Voron.

If all goes to plan the mission would launch by 2022 and include an orbiter and a lander that would explore Ganymede for three years while making detailed observations. If it succeeds then it will be the first spacecraft ever to land there with the potential for it to be the first probe to land on any of Jupiter's moons if it happens before a proposed NASA mission to Europa.

Source: Rian.ru | Comments (4)

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