Russia's ambitious Luna-25 mission is poised to achieve a remarkable feat as it inches closer to the moon's south pole for an historic soft landing scheduled for August 21. The mission, undertaken by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, seeks to rekindle lunar exploration after a hiatus of nearly five decades.
"All Luna-25 systems are functioning normally; communication with it is stable. Sessions are being taken to measure the current navigational parameters," Roscosmos said in a Telegram post.
Roscosmos has shared the initial images captured by Luna-25. These images provide a striking view of the spacecraft against the backdrop of both Earth, a planet left behind, and the Moon, the mission's imminent destination. The imagery also features the emblem of the Luna-25 mission and the bucket of the onboard manipulator, showcasing the craft's advanced capabilities.
A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 during its flight to the moon shows the mission emblem and the bucket of the lunar manipulator complex. August 15, 2023. Roscosmos/Handout via Reuters
“These pictures show the structural elements of the « Luna-25 » apparatus against the background of the Earth, from which we have forever flown away, and against the background of the Moon, to which we will very soon fly. In the third picture you can see the emblem of the mission and the bucket of the onboard manipulator,” said a statement from Roscosmos
Luna-25 embarked on its journey on August 10, 2023, launching atop a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. This mission has a specific objective – to land at the moon's south pole, an area believed to harbor vital ice resources. These resources could play a pivotal role in facilitating future space missions by enabling the extraction of oxygen and fuel.
The last Russian lunar mission predates the modern era of space exploration, with Luna-24 being launched back in 1976. Luna-25 stands as Russia's first lunar lander in nearly 47 years, marking a significant milestone for the nation's space program. The mission aims to surpass its predecessor's achievements by delving deeper into lunar exploration and research
As Luna-25 orbits the moon, Roscosmos reports that scientific instruments on board have been activated, providing valuable data on the mission's progress. The project's scientific team has commenced the processing of this data, contributing to a growing pool of lunar knowledge.
While Luna-25's journey is reaching a crescendo, the Indian Chandrayaan-3 mission is also making steady strides. Launched on July 14, Chandrayaan-3 is currently in the final lunar-bound orbit maneuver. This maneuver brought the spacecraft closer to the moon's surface in preparation for its much-anticipated landing attempt.
Remarkably, Luna-25 could potentially touch down on the moon's south pole before Chandrayaan-3. Despite launching nearly a month later, Luna-25's trajectory and route could enable it to achieve a soft landing sooner than its Indian counterpart. Roscosmos plans to finalise Luna-25's lunar orbit on August 16, aiming for a soft landing attempt on August 21 or 22, just ahead of Chandrayaan-3's targeted landing on August 23.
On Wednesday, the spacecraft accomplished its fifth and final lunar-bound orbit manoeuvre, bringing it closer to the Moon's surface. It has now finished all the necessary manoeuvres to reach the Moon and will begin preparing to detach the lander module, which includes the lander and rover, from the propulsion module.
Having successfully executed its lunar-bound orbit maneuvers, Chandrayaan-3 is now poised for a pivotal separation event. Scheduled for August 17, the separation of the lander module from the propulsion module is a crucial step. Subsequently, the lander is anticipated to undergo a controlled deboost maneuver, positioning it in a strategic orbit for its upcoming soft landing attempt on the moon's south-polar region on August 23. The world watches with bated breath as Chandrayaan-3 navigates the intricate dance toward a historic lunar touchdown.
"Will the race make a difference? In the grand scope of cosmic exploration, the order of arrival may not significantly alter the lunar landscape. Yet, the knowledge gained from each mission will enrich our understanding of the Moon's past and potential. The value lies in the sum of our combined efforts, Chrisphin Karthick, scientist at Bangalore's Indian Institute of Astrophysics, told PTI.
According to India's space agency ISRO, one of the main reasons for the difference in arrival times between the Luna-25 and Chandrayaan-3 missions is their mass and fuel efficiency. The Luna-25 mission has a lower lift-off mass of 1,750 kilograms, making it significantly lighter than the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which weighs 3,800 kg. This reduced mass enables Luna-25 to accelerate more efficiently during its journey.
