There may be life not only on Mars but also on Jupiter's satellite, Europa, Russian scientists claim.
Experts believe there is an ocean under Europa's ice crust, and "it is not ruled out that there is biogenic activity," a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mikhail Marov, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.
He added that Russia has the technical capabilities to fly to Europa, though it is necessary to test the reliability of the equipment. It will take four years to create a device capable of flying autonomously to Jupiter, Marov said.
Russia also plans a space experiment to land on the Mars satellite, Phobos, in 2009. The director general of the Lavochkin missile building company, Konstantin Pichkhadze, quoted by the agency, said the flight could take place in 2007 but faced delays due to a lack of funds. In 2005, the scientists plan to make the necessary equipment for the flight. The company is also developing equipment for research of the Moon and Mars.
