New social and economic trends in the present-day world require a new approach to the planning and realization of space research, in particular of Mars and other bodies in the solar system. This approach is characterized by a transition from confrontation to a large-scale international cooperation in the accomplishment of am­bitious space projects. In this paper we describe the participation of Ukraine in the international Mars-96 project, reviewed are also some long-term programmes of Mars investigations being developed by leading space agencies in some countries.