Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years
For the first time since 1976, a lunar probe has been sent by the Russian space programme. With a target landing date of August 21 in the southern polar zone, Luna-25 launched from the Vostochny spaceport in the Amur zone.
All of the earlier probes have touched down in the equatorial area. For a historic first lunarfall in the harsh polar region, Luna-25 would arrive two days before India’s Chandrayaan-3 if it falls properly.
The first lunar probe constructed completely of Russian materials in contemporary times is called Luna-25. Between September 1958 and August 1976, the USSR conducted 24 authorised ‘Luna’ flights.
The mission of the probe is to conduct study on the moon’s southern polar area. The lunar surface, plasma, and dust are examined for the existence of uncommon minerals using devices aboard Luna-25. The mission will last a year, and the targeted lunarfall location is close to Boguslavsky Crater.
From liftoff through the third-stage separation of the Fregat module carrying the probe, the mission’s vital initial phase will last nine minutes, according to Roscosmos. In order to put Luna-25 on a course for the moon, the module is intended to fire the main engine twice.
There will be two trajectory corrections throughout the course of the journey, which is expected to last five days. The final stage will run for roughly three days and place the probe in a circumpolar orbit at a height of around 100 km. Luna-25 would perform a gentle landing in the south polar zone during the fourth phase, when it would transition to an elliptical landing orbit with a minimum height of 18 km.
In September 2019, India wanted to be the first country to touch down in the polar highlands, but the Chandrayaan-1 probe’s Vikram lander lost contact and crashed. The July-launched Chandrayaan-3 mission is now in lunar orbit and is scheduled to make a polar touchdown on August 23.
With the Luna probes, the Soviet Union’s space programme achieved a number of firsts in history. In January 1959, Luna 1 became the first spacecraft to escape the earth-moon system. Luna 2 created history by travelling to the moon for the first time in September of that year. Luna 9 made the first soft soft landing on the moon in February 1966, while Luna 10 was the first artificial spacecraft to orbit the moon in March.
Despite falling behind the Soviets in orbital exploration, the US claimed the honour of making the first manned lunar landing in July 1968 with Apollo 11. In December 1972, the Apollo programme came to an end. In August 1976, Luna 24, the final Soviet lunar mission, brought back lunar soil samples for analysis.
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Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years
Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years
Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years
Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years. Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years. Russia could not launch a single moon probe in 47 years