Russia eyes the Moon with Luna 25 mission, may beat India’s Chandrayaan 3

Russia is preparing for its inaugural lunar mission in almost half a century, aiming to maintain its significance amidst a resurging competition in space exploration. With this, Russia is strongly placing itself in the modern-day space race.

The Luna 25 lander has been placed onto a Soyuz 2.1b carrier rocket and is currently awaiting its scheduled launch on Friday at 7:00 PM ET from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Moscow. This information was reported by the Russian state news agency TASS.

The primary objective of the lunar lander is to reach the Moon’s southern polar area, where it will conduct research on the polar regolith’s composition, as well as study the plasma and dust elements present in the lunar polar exosphere.

Russia enters the modern-day space race
Russia’s engagement with lunar exploration has been dormant since Luna-24’s return to Earth with lunar regolith samples in August 1976. The emergence of Luna-25 marks a notable shift in Russia’s lunar aspirations, as the country seeks to collaborate with China in the intensified global competition to conquer the Moon’s terrain.

Russia’s mission within its renewed lunar initiative encountered significant delays, spanning nearly two years. Initially planned in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA), the progression of Luna25 faced disruption due to Russia’s military involvement in Ukraine, prompting a rupture in relations between Europe and the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

This diplomatic upheaval led to ESA’s withdrawal from the Luna 25 undertaking, as well as follow-up missions Luna 26 and 27. Consequently, Russia was compelled to substitute European components on the lander with domestically manufactured scientific instruments.

Russia partnering up with China
Russia’s awaited reentry into lunar exploration arrives at a juncture when Roscosmos finds itself in a somewhat strained position within the broader space industry landscape. Moreover, this development coincides with Russia’s endeavour to solidify its collaborative ties with China, aiming to collaboratively construct a lunar base.

China is aggressively advancing its lunar program with ambitions that rival NASA’s Artemis initiative, including blueprints for a permanent lunar surface installation. The joint venture named the International Lunar Research Station, initially proposed by China and Russia in 2021, has garnered additional support from countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan as the project evolves.

In a race with India’s Chandrayaan 3 Mission
Roscosmos has outlined an ambitious and aggressive schedule for its Luna 25 spacecraft. The spacecraft is set to embark on a five-day voyage to the Moon, followed by a 5-7 day period in a lunar orbit, which will then culminate in a descent to one of three potential landing sites situated near the Moon’s southern pole. This intricately planned timeline indicates that Russia might be on track to either match or narrowly surpass Chandrayaan-3’s anticipated lunar landing.

Both India and Russia are in a race against time to land on the southern pole of the moon, a territory that has been practically unexplored till now.

Navigating through the complex and challenging topography of the Moon’s southern pole presents a massive challenge. Nevertheless, this region holds tremendous scientific allure due to its widely speculated abundance of ice—an invaluable resource with far-reaching implications. This ice has the potential to serve as a vital repository for various essentials, including fuel, oxygen, and potable water, thus providing substantial support for forthcoming lunar habitat initiatives.