Planeta-A   Martian 'dust devil' tracks     Following on from Russia’s successful involvement in ESA and NASA projects such as ESA’s Mars Express and the USA’s Mars Odyssey, Rosaviakosmos – now the Federal Space Agency – recommended the Planeta-A project.   The aim of the project is to bring together a number of experimental space developments to enable Russian scientific teams to collaborate in the projects of other space agencies. Planet-A’s principal task will be to study Earth-type planets in both national and international scientific experiments onboard international planetary missions.     The technical involvement of Russian scientists and engineers in international planetary missions is vital for obtaining new scientific results and preserving Russian technology potential in the study of planets and minor cosmic bodies in the solar system.     Planeta-A is a multipurpose project that brings together the Russian and joint scientific experiments on board international planetary missions. The project will include ongoing development projects such as MSP-2001 (launched in 2001, a joint project with NASA), Mars Express and Venus Express (ESA) and Mars-2009 (jointly with NASA and ESA).     The lead institute for Planeta-A is IKI RAN, with GEOHI and IRE acting as subcontractors.       Last update: 25 October 2004 Russian space science  •  Venera-D (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEM0LFW4QWD_0.html)  •  Other projects (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEM8NFW4QWD_0.html) More information  •  Federal Space Agency (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMLYKMKPZD_0.html) More information  •  Venus Express (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMR41W4QWD_0.html)  •  Mars Express (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/SEMNS75V9ED_0.html) Related links  •  Federal Space Agency (http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/ESA_Permanent_Mission_in_Russia/SEMLYKMKPZD_0.html)  •  NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html)  •  Space Research Institute (IKI) (http://www.iki.rssi.ru/eng/index.htm)  •  GEOHI (http://geokhi.ru/eng/start.htm)  •  IRE (http://www.cplire.ru/html/index.html)