The Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the moon lander Luna-25 automatic station takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia on Friday.CREDIT:ROSCOSMOS/AP
Russia has embarked on its first lunar landing mission in 47 years, aiming to achieve the historic feat of executing a soft landing on the lunar south pole. This area is believed to house valuable reservoirs of water ice.
The Russian lunar endeavor, its first since 1976, is engaged in a race against time with India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander recently. Moreover, Russia’s aspirations intersect with those of the United States and China, both of which have elaborate lunar exploration programs concentrated on the lunar south pole.
Launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, situated 5,550 kilometers east of Moscow, a Soyuz 2.1v rocket propelled the Luna-25 spacecraft into space at 2:11 am Moscow time. The rocket’s upper stage maneuvered the lander beyond Earth’s orbit toward the moon over an hour later, confirmed Roscosmos, Russia’s space agency.
The anticipated landing date for Luna-25 on the moon is August 21, as disclosed by Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov to Interfax. Previously, August 23 had been indicated as the potential landing date.
Addressing workers at the Vostochny Cosmodrome post-launch, Borisov expressed hope for a precise and gentle moon landing on the 21st.
The Luna-25 lander, approximately the size of a small car, is projected to operate for about a year on the moon’s southern pole. This region, with its shadowed craters, has drawn the attention of scientists from NASA and other space organizations due to the identification of water ice traces.
This lunar mission carries considerable significance as the Kremlin contends that Western sanctions stemming from the Ukraine conflict have not substantially damaged the Russian economy, despite their focus on the aerospace sector.
Additionally, this venture is a testament to Russia’s growing self-reliance in space exploration following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which resulted in the severance of most of Moscow’s space ties with the West. The European Space Agency had intended to contribute to the project but withdrew following Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
The pursuit of lunar exploration serves multiple objectives for Russia, including projecting national influence on the global stage. Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk in 1969 remains iconic, but the Soviet Union’s Luna-2 mission reached the moon’s surface in 1959, and Luna-9 achieved a soft landing in 1966.
Several global powers, including the US, China, India, Japan, and the European Union, have been actively exploring the moon, with a focus on its south pole. The rough terrain in this region presents landing challenges, yet the potential discovery of water ice holds immense significance due to its potential applications, including fuel, oxygen extraction, and drinking water.
Maxim Litvak, head of the planning group for the Luna-25’s scientific equipment, emphasized the importance of exploring untrodden territory, stating, “From the point of view of science, the most important task, to put it simply, is to land where no one else has landed.”
This mission’s significance lies in the pursuit of new scientific insights and exploration, marked by its focus on previously untouched lunar terrain.
Source: Reuters