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Chinese and Russian officials have agreed to jointly send a probe to Mars and its moon, Phobos, in 2009, Chinese news service reported Tuesday .
Russia will launch an explorer Phobos-Grunt carrying a Chinese-made exploration device to conduct the task and take samples of Phobos soil, according to a statement signed yesterday by Sun Laiyan, chief of the China National Space Administration, and his Russian counterpart.
The agreement is a milestone of the two country’s space cooperation.
Visiting Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed a statement yesterday to expand economic and humanitarian cooperation and to promote security ties to strengthen strategic partnership.
