Program of Russia's Mars exploration feasible, but not envisaged yet

The program of Russia's exploration of the Mars is technically feasible, but is not envisaged yet, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Alyoshin told journalists on Wednesday.

"This is not merely a matter of technologies, but also of rational use of resources that are not too enormous," he said.

At the same time, "our ambitions as to exploration of the Mars and the Moon are go far ahead," he emphasized.

Even the Soviet Union had programs of exploring the Mars and the Moon, Alyoshin recalled.

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister was skeptical about the recent statement by US President George Bush who had offered other countries to join the US Mars exploration program. "The statements made by Bush are most probably of a pre-election nature," Alyoshin said.