Russia Launches Luna 25 to Moon’s South pole position

Russia: In a historic achievement, Russia has launched its inaugural moon-landing spacecraft Luna 25 on Friday, marking a momentous return to lunar exploration after a hiatus of 47 years. The ambitious mission, carried out by Russia’s space agency Roscosmos, has set its sights on a remarkable objective: to execute the first gentle landing on the lunar south pole.

The competition in lunar exploration is fierce, with India recently sending its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander into space just last month. This high-stakes race also involves the United States and China, both of which have robust lunar exploration initiatives, with a particular emphasis on the southern region of the Moon.

The historic launch took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, situated 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow. A Soyuz 2.1-volt rocket was successfully deployed, propelling the Luna-25 spacecraft towards its lunar destination. The launch occurred at 2:11 a.m. Moscow time on Friday (1111 GMT on Thursday), ushering in a new chapter in Russia’s space exploration endeavours.

Yuri Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, provided the eagerly anticipated details. The lunar lander is expected to delicately touch down on the Moon’s surface on August 21, slightly earlier than Roscosmos’ initial projection of August 23.

The Luna-25 spacecraft, boasting dimensions akin to a small car, is designed to function for an impressive year-long period on the moon’s south pole. This region has drawn significant scientific interest, as traces of water ice have been detected in the shadowed craters, according to findings from NASA and other space agencies.