Russia’s Luna-25 enters moon’s orbit ahead of scheduled landing on Aug 21-23

Russian lunar spacecraft Luna-25 on Wednesday (August 16) entered the moon’s orbit, marking a major step towards realising the country’s ambition to land a spacecraft on the moon’s South Pole.

According to oberservers, it is the first time a Russian spacecraft has entered the moon’s orbit since the Soviet 1976 moon mission.

The spacecraft entered the moon’s orbit at 11:57 AM (local time), said Russia’s space agency Roskosmos in a statement.

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Landing on moon scheduled for August 21

After entering the orbit, Luna-25 will circle the moon for five days, before changing its trajectory to attempt a soft landing at the moon’s surface on August 21. The spacecraft, which is as big as a small car in size, will operate on the South Pole for a year.

Watch:Gravitas: Chandrayaan-3 vs Russia's Luna-25 race to the moon

Anatoly Zak, the creator and publisher ofwww.RussianSpaceWeb.com, was quoted by Reuters as saying that "Entering lunar orbit is absolutely critical for the success of this project. This is a first for the post-Soviet period."

"Some are calling this the second lunar race so it is very important for Russia to resume this programme. Luna-25 is not just one mission - is it part of a much broader Russian strategy that stretches 10 years into the future," Zak added.

What’s the mission?

According to the New York Times, experiments involve gathering soil samples and excavating water-ice beneath the surface.

In 2008, Chandrayaan-1 confirmed the existence of ice at the Moon's South Pole using a US instrument. This discovery's significance extends to major space powers, potentially enabling longer human stays on the Moon and facilitating lunar resource extraction.

Luna-25 spacecraft earlier took and transmitted its inaugural images from space. These black-and-white photos showcase the spacecraft's structure adorned with the Russian flag and mission patch, as well as captivating views of Earth and the Moon against the expansive backdrop of space.

Race with India’s Chandrayaan-3?

Luna-25 is scheduled to land between August 21 and 23, while India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 is expected to land on August 23-24.

The competition has gained traction as the South Pole of the Moon serves as the hub for upcoming lunar missions, attracting global attention to the Indian and Russian landings.

This scenario also means that the first country to land there will achieve a historic milestone.

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