Russia’s Luna-25 Spacecraft Reaches Lunar Orbit, Announces Space Agency
On Wednesday, Russia’s lunar spacecraft successfully achieved lunar orbit, marking a significant milestone in their pursuit to become the first nation to reach the moon’s south pole in their quest for frozen water.
Luna-25 entered lunar orbit at 11:57 a.m. (0857 GMT), Russia’s space agency Roskosmos said.
Luna-25 will orbit the moon, Earth’s only natural satellite, for about 5 days, then change course for a soft landing at the moon’s south pole, scheduled for August 21.
India’s Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit earlier this month ahead of its scheduled touchdown at the Moon’s south pole later this month.
Roughly the size of a small car, Luna-25 aims to operate for a year at the South Pole, where scientists from NASA and other space agencies have observed frozen water from craters in recent years.
The presence of water on the moon affects large space forces, allowing humans to stay longer on the planet, which would allow the extraction of lunar resources.
According to Anatoli Zaki, who tracks Russian space programs, no Russian spacecraft has entered lunar orbit since the Soviet Union’s 1976 lunar mission Luna-24.
“Getting into lunar orbit is absolutely critical to the success of this project,” Zak told Reuters. “This is the first since the post-Soviet era.”
“Some call this the second lunar race, so it is very important that Russia continues this program. Luna-25 is not just one mission – it is part of a much broader Russian strategy that extends 10 years into the future.
