Joint Mars exploration schedule to be confirmed to ensure original plan proceeds smoothly

China and Russia are working together to ensure a joint exploration of Mars and one of the planet's moons proceeds as planned next year, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said.

A micro-satellite developed by China will be launched along with Russian spacecraft the "Phobos Explorer" from atop a Russian rocket in 2009 in an expedition to probe the red planet's environment, according to an agreement signed last March.

"The cooperation marks a new stage in space cooperation on a higher level between the two countries," CNSA told China Daily in a written reply yesterday.