On August 10, Russia rekindled its lunar exploration program by launching a lander towards our celestial neighbour, the Moon. The Luna-25 mission took flight at 7:10 p.m. EDT (2310 GMT) today, riding atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome located in Russia's far eastern Amur Region. This launch marks a continuation of the lunar exploration efforts that had paused since 1976 when the Luna-24 mission successfully returned around 6.2 ounces (170 grams) of lunar samples to Earth. Unlike the past, Luna-25 is a significant stride as it signifies Russia's inaugural domestically-produced lunar probe in modern Russian history.
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If all goes according to plan, Luna-25 is anticipated to embark on a five-day voyage towards the Moon, subsequently entering an orbit that will encircle the natural satellite for an additional five to seven days. The spacecraft will eventually land in the southern polar area of the Moon, near Boguslawsky Crater. It's worth noting that two alternate landing sites are under consideration: one to the southwest of Manzini Crater and another to the south of Pentland A Crater. Following a successful touchdown, Luna-25 is poised to operate on the lunar surface for a minimum of one Earth year.
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