Russia to launch Luna-25 moon probe in August

Xinhua News Agency

VLADIVOSTOK – Russia plans to launch its Luna-25 moon probe from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far Eastern region of Amur on August 22, Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency reported Friday, Apr. 8.

This would be Russia’s first mission to the Moon in 46 years, said Alexander Mitkin, Deputy General Designer for Electrical Systems at NPO Lavochkin, a spacecraft building factory where Luna-25 was made.

The last lunar mission, Luna-24, was undertaken by the former Soviet Union in August 1976, which proved the presence of water in samples brought back from the Moon.

According to the report, the main tasks of Luna-25 would include testing soft-landing technologies in the moon’s circumpolar region and conducting contact studies of the lunar south pole.

Luna-25 marks the reactivation of Russia’s moon program. After Luna-25, the Luna-26 mission for mapping is expected to lift off in 2024, Luna-27 for soil exploration in 2025, Luna-28 for collecting lunar soil and working out the landing scheme for Russian cosmonauts in 2027-2028. (Xinhua) – bny

Popular

Corruption issues won’t affect PH chairship of ASEAN 2026 —PBBM

By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday stressed that local political issues of any member state will not overshadow the regional and...

PH to raise South China Sea Code of Conduct as 2026 ASEAN chair —PBBM

By Brian Campued The Philippines is in the process of putting together the different elements where it believes the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)...

ASEAN, China sign free trade upgrade

By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday joined fellow leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for the signing of...

PBBM notes maritime cooperation as key for regional peace, stability

By Brian Campued Citing the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel as well as the ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the...