Russia's Luna-25 launch: Far east village to be evacuated for 1st lunar lander mission in over 40 years
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 7, 2023, 1:18 PM ISTThe Luna-25 lunar lander, Russia's first since 1976, will be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on August 11, some 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow.
On August 11, Russia will evacuate a village in its far east to facilitate the launch of its first lunar lander mission in nearly half a century, as announced by a local official on Monday. The upcoming mission, called Luna-25, marks Russia's return to lunar exploration after a hiatus since 1976. The lunar lander will be launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, located approximately 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow, as per Russia's space agency, Roscosmos.
The evacuation is necessary as a safety measure for the residents of the Shakhtinskyi settlement in Russia's Khabarovsk region, which is situated southeast of the launch site. The village falls within the predicted area where the rocket boosters will fall after they separate from the spacecraft. To ensure the residents' safety, they will be evacuated in the early morning of August 11.
Russia’s ready to embark on a new age of discovery on the final frontier by returning to the Moon, with the Luna-25 unmanned craft due to blast off from Vostochny Cosmodrome on August 11. pic.twitter.com/KsnrWcpHEe
— RT (@RT_com)Latest Videos
According to Alexei Maslov, the head of the Verkhnebureinskyi district in the Khabarovsk region, several locations, including the mouth of the Umalta, Ussamakh, Lepikan, Tastakh, Saganar rivers, and the area of the ferry crossing on the Bureya River, are within the predicted fall zone of the rocket boosters.
Luna-25 will be launched using a Soyuz-2 Fregat booster and is planned to become the first lander to reach the South Pole of the moon, as per Roscosmos' statement. The primary objectives of the mission are to develop soft-landing technologies, conduct research on the Moon's internal structure, and explore potential resources, including water.
▶️ At the Vostochny cosmodrome, the Luna-25 automatic station was docked to the Fregat upper stage.
The launch is scheduled for August. The automatic station "Luna-25" for the first time in the modern history of Russia will go to the natural satellite of the Earth. She will have… pic.twitter.com/3L3DHOW8gJ
Once it lands on the lunar surface, the lander is expected to operate for one year, conducting various scientific and exploratory missions on the Moon. The mission represents a significant milestone for Russia's space exploration program and holds the potential for crucial advancements in lunar research and future missions.
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