Why in news?

• Recently, Russia launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years in a bid to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole.
• The Russian lunar mission, Luna-25, the first since 1976, is racing against India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander last month.

Russia’s Luna 25

Russia’s Luna 25 mission is a new and exciting space journey. After nearly five decades, Russia is sending a spacecraft to land on the Moon. Luna 25 has a special goal – to explore the Moon’s south pole. This mission is set to launch on August 11, 2023. The spacecraft will take about five days to reach the Moon. It’s aiming to land on August 23, which is the same day India’s Chandrayaan-3 plans to touch down. Luna 25 wants to study the Moon’s surface and find important things like water. It’s a big deal because it’s been a long time since Russia went on a lunar adventure.

After 47 years, Russia launched its first Moon mission, named Luna-25, around August 10, 2023. They’re working with India’s ISRO. Luna 25 will take about 5 days to reach the Moon and then orbit for 5-7 days before landing near the south pole.

Landing Date

Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft is planning to land on the Moon’s surface on August 23, 2023. It’s like a special journey to a place no one has been in a long time. The spacecraft will go all the way from Earth to the Moon and gently touch down on the Moon’s surface. They want to learn new things about the Moon by looking closely at its surface. It’s an exciting adventure in space!

Budget

Russia has not yet disclosed the budget for its Luna 25 mission. The budget represents the money allocated for the mission’s various aspects, such as design, construction, launch, and operation. It’s essential for managing expenses and ensuring a successful mission.

Why is Russia reaching the moon earlier than India?

• Luna-25 was launched aboard its Soyuz rocket almost a month after the launch of Chandrayaan-3 (on July 14). However, it will cover the 3.84-lakh-km journey within days.
• This is because the Russian mission was able to follow a more direct trajectory towards the moon, owing to its lighter payload and more fuel storage.
  • The lift-off mass for Luna 25 is just 1,750 kg as compared with the 3,900 kg of Chandrayaan-3.
• To make up for the lower fuel reserve available on the LVM3 vehicle that launched India’s mission, a more circuitous route was taken.
  • After being launched around the Earth, the orbit of the spacecraft was increased in a series of manoeuvres to help it gain velocity.
  • The spacecraft was then slingshot towards the moon, reaching the lunar orbit nearly 22 days after it was launched.
• Another reason Luna-25 can land a couple of days before India is because lunar dawn at its landing site will happen earlier.
  • One lunar day is equal to 14 Earth days. With the payloads being powered by solar panels, landing at the beginning of a lunar day ensures that the experiments get the full 14 earth days.

FAQs about Russia’s Luna-25 Moon Mission

Read also:- Chandrayaan-3 vs. Apollo 11: Time to Reach Moon