Mars probe

China and Russia plan to jointly explore Mars and one of its moons with a Chinese micro-satellite aboard the Russian spacecraft "Phobos Explorer." The agreement was signed in Moscow in the presence of Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian President Vladimir Putin.The Chinese micro-satellite and the "Phobos Explorer" will be launched atop a Russian rocket in 2009. After entering Mars ' orbit, the Chinese micro-satellite will detach from the Russian spacecraft and probe the planet ' s environment. The "Phobos Explorer" will land the Martian moon Phobos and return to Earth with soil samples.