Luna 25: Russia's historic Moon mission hours away from lift-off
Russia is ready to launch its first Moon mission, Luna 25, in almost 50 years. The mission is set to lift-off atop a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome at 7:10pm EDT (4:30am IST, August 11). Luna 25 aims to demonstrate lunar exploration technologies and conduct scientific work during its yearlong stay. It marks Russia's first fully homegrown deep-space mission since 2011.
Why the mission is focussed on the lunar south pole
After launch, Luna 25 will embark on an approximately five-day journey to the Moon. The mission will reportedly spend five to seven days in lunar orbit before attempting to land near the Moon's south pole. The lunar south pole is a key exploration target due to its potential water ice resources. These resources may support Moon outposts in the future.
The mission's landing could coincide with Chandrayaan-3
Luna 25's landing is scheduled around the same time as India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which aims to touchdown on the lunar south pole on August 23. To date, only the Soviet Union, the US, and China have successfully pulled off a soft landing on the Moon.
Luna 25 is a key mission for Russia
A part of the lander's work involves collecting lunar rock samples to test for frozen water that could support human missions. The Luna 25 mission has faced delays and changes, such as the European Space Agency removing its Pilot-D navigation camera after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The launch signifies a key milestone in Russia's renewed focus on lunar exploration and deep-space missions.
