The Luna-25 spacecraft was launched from the east of Moscow by a Soyuz 2.1v rocket on Friday.
On Friday, Russia launched its first probe to the Moon in almost 50 years, with the aim of reinvigorating its space industry, which has been hampered by ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow’s Luna-25 mission is the first to launch a lunar probe since 1976, when the USSR was one of the pioneering nations in space exploration.
The Luna-25 probe was launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome at 02:10 am Moscow time (2310 GMT Thursday), as shown in live images shared by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The spacecraft is expected to reach the moon’s surface in five days.
The spacecraft will require a period of three to seven days to locate the appropriate location before it touches down in the lunar south pole area.
The lunar south pole will be the landing site for the first time in history, as announced by senior Roscosmos official Alexander Blokhin in a recent interview.
According to an official in charge of Roscosmos, the probe is expected to reach the Moon on August 21, as reported by AFP.
‘The aspirations of our forebears’ –
The Russian space agency stated that the craft would be stationed on the Moon for a year, during which it would analyze soil samples and conduct long-term scientific investigations.
The launch is the first step in Russia’s lunar programme, which begins at a time when Roscosmos is losing its links with the West due to the conflict with Ukraine.
The first attempt by post-Soviet Russia to place a device on astronomical objects is being discussed by Russian space expert Vitali Iegorov.
“The most pressing question will be whether it can make it to the landing spot,” he told AFP, emphasizing the significance of this mission for Russia.
Despite sanctions, President Vladimir Putin has pledged to maintain Russia’s space program, citing the USSR’S sending the first man into space in 1961, amid mounting East-West tensions.
Last year, at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin stated that “we are guided by our forebears’ aspirations to progress despite obstacles and external interference.”
The Russian space sector, which is facing financial difficulties, corruption, and mounting competition from the United States and China, as well as private ventures like SpaceX led by Elon Musk, considers this mission crucial.
In August, India launched its latest spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3, which landed in orbit before the country’s second attempted lunar landing later this month.
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