MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russia devotes a great deal of attention to the issue of exploring the planet Mars, said Roscosmos State Space Corporation CEO Yury Borisov.

"Mars attracts all space agencies, as they are all interested in Mars missions. Sergey Korolev, the founder of practical cosmonautics, always had Mars on his mind when working on the lunar program. This planet is expected to reveal many secrets that will allow us to understand the true essence of the universe and outer space. Roscosmos devotes a great deal of attention to these studies; we have been carrying out research together with our colleagues at the Academy of Sciences. The Mars exploration program will continue," Borisov said at an open lesson held as part of an educational marathon hosted by Russia's Knowledge Society

Former Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin said in 2020 that Russia would have the technical wherewithal to transport humans to Mars in eight to ten years. Sergey Krikalev, Roscosmos executive director for Manned Space Programs, in turn, pointed out that Russia was working on the Oryol (or Eagle) spacecraft to fly beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) to the Moon or Mars at the opportune time. The spacecraft is scheduled to conduct its first unmanned flight from the Vostochny spaceport in 2024.