Putin announces Russia's mission to Mars in 2019 while Britain is busy expelling Russian diplomats

In 2019, Russia will launch a mission to Mars. In addition, as part of another Moon exploration project, Russia scientists will try to land spacecraft on lunar poles, President Putin said.

"We will conduct unmanned and then manned launches to explore outer space. There will be the lunar program and then the Mars exploration program. First off, and this is coming very soon, we are launching a mission to Mars in 2019," Putin said in Andrei Kondrashov's "Putin" documentary.

According to Putin, Russia's new lunar program will differ from that of the Soviet Union.

"Our specialists will try to make landings on the poles, because there is reason to believe that there can be water there," the Russian president said.

Pravda.Ru