Current:Home > InvestRussia launches lunar landing craft in first moon mission since Soviet era -EliteFunds
Russia launches lunar landing craft in first moon mission since Soviet era
View
Date:2025-04-15 22:06:49
Russia's space agency said on Friday that all systems of lunar landing space craft that blasted off Friday were working normally hours after it detached from a booster module. All communications with the spacecraft are stable, Reuters reported, citing a statement from Russia's space agency.
The rocket launch is Russia's first moon mission in nearly 50 years, as the spacecraft races to land on Earth's satellite ahead of an Indian spacecraft. The launch from Russia's Vostochny spaceport of the Luna-25 craft to the moon is Russia's first since 1976 when it was part of the Soviet Union.
The Russian lunar lander is expected to reach the moon on Aug. 23, about the same day as an Indian craft which was launched on July 14. The Russian spacecraft will take about 5.5 days to travel to the moon's vicinity, then spend three to seven days orbiting at about 100 kilometers (62 miles) before heading for the surface.
Only three governments have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China. India and Russia are aiming to be the first to land at the moon's south pole.
Roscosmos, Russia's space agency, said it wants to show Russia "is a state capable of delivering a payload to the moon," and "ensure Russia's guaranteed access to the moon's surface."
"Study of the moon is not the goal," said Vitaly Egorov, a popular Russian space analyst. "The goal is political competition between two superpowers —China and the USA— and a number of other countries which also want to claim the title of space superpower."
Sanctions imposed on Russia after it invaded Ukraine make it harder for it to access Western technology, impacting its space program. The Luna-25 was initially meant to carry a small moon rover but that idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability, analysts say.
"Foreign electronics are lighter, domestic electronics are heavier," Egorov said. "While scientists might have the task of studying lunar water, for Roscosmos the main task is simply to land on the moon — to recover lost Soviet expertise and learn how to perform this task in a new era."
The Luna-25 launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, according to video feed from Roscosmos.
The spaceport is a pet project of Russian President Vladimir Putin and is key to his efforts to make Russia a space superpower and move Russian launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
A previous Indian attempt to land at the moon's south pole in 2019 ended when the lander crashed into the moon's surface.
The lunar south pole is of particular interest to scientists, who believe the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain water. The frozen water in the rocks could be transformed by future explorers into air and rocket fuel.
"The moon is largely untouched and the whole history of the moon is written on its face," said Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at Britain's Royal Observatory, Greenwich. "It is pristine and like nothing you get on Earth. It is its own laboratory."
The Luna-25 is to take samples of moon rock and dust. The samples are crucial to understanding the moon's environment ahead of building any base there, "otherwise we could be building things and having to shut them down six months later because everything has effectively been sand-blasted," Bloomer said.
- In:
- Technology
- Russia
- China
- Science
- United Kingdom
veryGood! (8172)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- A house cheaper than a car? Tiny home for less than $20,000 available on Amazon
- Grandparents found hugging one another after fallen tree killed them in their South Carolina home
- Caitlin O'Connor and Joe Manganiello’s Relationship Started With a Winning Meet Cute
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Why T.J. Holmes Credits Amy Robach’s Daughter for Their Latest Milestone
- Spirit Halloween roasts 'SNL' in hilarious response to show's spoof of the chain
- 'Electrifying:' Prince dancer, choreographer Cat Glover dead at 62
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Frolic Into Fall With Lands' End's Huge Sitewide Sale: $7 Tees, $8 Bras, $10 Pants & More — Up to 87% Off
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- 'Pure electricity': Royals on verge of MLB playoff series win after Cole Ragans gem
- Video shows Russian fighter jet in 'unsafe' maneuver just feet from US Air Force F-16
- A Family of Beekeepers Could Lose Their Hives Because of a Massive Pipeline Expansion
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Hurricane Helene victims include young siblings killed by falling tree as they slept
- Jury at officers’ trial in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols hears instructions ahead of closings
- Michigan’s minimum wage to jump 20% under court ruling
Recommendation
North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces 120 more sexual abuse claims, including 25 victims who were minors
Mariska Hargitay Addresses Potential Taylor Swift Cameo on Law & Order: SVU
Timothée Chalamet's Sister Pauline Chalamet Supports Kylie Jenner at Paris Fashion Week
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Trump won’t participate in interview for ’60 Minutes’ election special
Man charged in California courthouse explosion also accused of 3 arson fires
Harris, Trump’s approach to Mideast crisis, hurricane to test public mood in final weeks of campaign