Current:Home > BackRussia launches lunar landing craft in first moon mission since Soviet era-LoTradeCoin
Russia launches lunar landing craft in first moon mission since Soviet era
View Date:2024-12-23 20:07:55
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! (79933)
Related
- Dozens indicted over NYC gang warfare that led to the deaths of four bystanders
- Ben Ferencz, last living Nuremberg prosecutor, dies at age 103
- Outrage As A Business Model: How Ben Shapiro Is Using Facebook To Build An Empire
- 2023 Coachella & Stagecoach Packing Guide: 12 Festival Dresses That Will Steal the Show
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- Kristen Doute Is Officially Returning to Vanderpump Rules Amid Tom Sandoval Drama
- Lifeboat and door found in search for Japanese army Black Hawk helicopter feared down in sea
- How To Have Your Vaccine Confirmation On You At All Times
- The Best Gifts for People Who Don’t Want Anything
- How to Watch All the 2023 Best Picture Oscar Nominees
Ranking
- Tuskegee University closes its campus to the public, fires security chief after shooting
- Selena Gomez Praises Best Friend Francia Raísa Nearly 6 Years After Kidney Donation
- Tale Of Tesla, Elon Musk Is Inherently Dramatic And Compellingly Told In 'Power Play'
- Shawn Mendes and Sabrina Carpenter Leave Miley Cyrus' Album Release Party Together
- Taylor Swift's Dad Scott Swift Photobombs Couples Pic With Travis Kelce
- A small town on Ireland's coast is eagerly preparing for a Biden visit
- Feel Like the MVP With Michael Strahan's Top Health & Wellness Amazon Picks
- Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson Celebrate Malika and Khadijah Haqq's 40th Birthday
Recommendation
-
Mississippi man charged with shooting 5 people after not being allowed into party
-
The Heartbreaking Truth About Elvis and Priscilla Presley's Love Story
-
Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader, apologizes for asking boy to suck his tongue
-
Hobbled Hubble Telescope Springs Back To Life On Its Backup System
-
Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
-
U.S. formally deems jailed Wall Street Journal reporter wrongfully detained in Russia
-
Several killed in Palestinian terror attacks in West Bank and Tel Aviv, as Israel strikes Hamas targets in Lebanon and Gaza
-
Lyft And Uber Prices Are High. Wait Times Are Long And Drivers Are Scarce