Russia to discuss Mars flight plans with US, Elon Musk

Russia and US to collaborate on space exploration, including Mars missions

Russia to discuss Mars flight plans with US, Elon Musk
Russia to discuss Mars flight plans with US, Elon Musk

Russia has planned to collaborate with the US and Elon Musk for the future space missions inclusing Mars flight.

Russia sees big prospects to work with the United States, including in the space sector, and expects to hold talks with Elon Musk soon about flying to Mars, President Vladimir Putin's international cooperation envoy said on Tuesday, reported Reuters.

Kirill Dmitriev, who was named by Putin last month as his special envoy on international economic and investment cooperation, said Russia's "enemies" were trying to derail U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to restore dialogue with Russia.

Trump was due to speak with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to try to convince the Russian president to accept a ceasefire in his country's war with Ukraine and move towards a more permanent end to the three-year-old conflict.

Dmitriev said Russia wanted to work with SpaceX CEO Musk as part of Moscow's efforts to strengthen and develop Russia's space agency Roscosmos and state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

"I think that there will undoubtedly be a discussion with Musk (about Mars flights) in the near future," Dmitriev said at a business forum in Moscow, going on to praise Musk's efforts to push the boundaries of human achievement.

Dmitriev said he was in touch with Roscosmos, Russian business and the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.