Russia launched its first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years

Russia on Friday launched its first robotic mission to the Moon in almost 50 years with the aim of giving new impetus to its space program, which has accumulated difficulties in recent years and which is isolated by the conflict in Ukraine.

The launch of the module moon-25 It is the first Russian mission to Moon since 1976, an era in which the extinct Soviet Union he was at the forefront of the conquest of space.

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But since the fall of the USSRMoscow faces a series of difficulties such as lack of financing and corruption scandals.

He soyuz rocket carrying this probe of almost 800 kilos took off from the space base of Vostochniin the Far East, at 02:10 a.m. Moscow (23:10 on Thursday), according to images broadcast live by the Roscosmos space agency.

A Soyuz 2.1b rocket with the Luna-25 lander lifts off from the launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome north of Blagoveschensk on Amur on August 11, 2023. (Photo by Handout/Russian Space Agency Roscosmos/ AFP) (HANDOUT/)

The aircraft rose, leaving behind a thick cloud of smoke and flames that stood out against the gray sky.

It is expected that the device will reach lunar orbit in five days, where it will be between three and seven days to choose a good place for the moon landing in the area of ​​the south pole of the satellite.

A source of Roscosmos contacted by AFP indicated that the moon landing is projected to take place on August 21.

“For the first time in history there will be a moon landing at the lunar south pole. Until now, everyone landed on the equatorial zone.“, he claimed Alexander Blojin in a recent interview to the official newspaper Rossíiskaya Gazeta.

The Russian space agency plans a one-year mission with the aim of collecting samples and analyzing the soil and carrying out “long-term scientific research”.

“The ambition of our ancestors”

This launch takes place in a context of isolation from the Russian program, since Roscosmos is vetoed by the Western powers.

In line with his diplomatic strategy, Russia seeks to develop space cooperation with China.

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The Russian independent analyst Vitali Yegorov stated that this mission is a test for the space program of Moscow.

“The most important question is: can it land on the moon?”, he asked AFP.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin He promised to continue with the space program, despite the sanctions, citing as an example the moment in which the USSR sent the first man into space in 1961, amid tensions with the West.

“We are guided by the ambition of our ancestors to keep going, despite difficulties and attempts to hinder us.”, Putin said last year at a visit to Vostochni.

A “risky” mission

The director of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisovrecognized in June that the mission is “risky”. “In the world, the possibility of success of this type of missions is estimated at 70%”, he said in a meeting with Putin.

The first floor of the launcher can fall in the surroundings of the town of shákhtinskyin the region of Khabarovsk. The authorities have already ordered the evacuation of the inhabitants.

The last Soviet mission to the Moon in 1976, Moon-24brought back to Earth soil samples from the satellite.

The space sector is a source of pride in Russia, as the Soviets launched the first satellite into orbit, the Sputnikthey managed to put the first animal into orbit with the mission of the dog Laika and then they sent the first man into space, the cosmonaut Yuri gagarin.

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However, USA won the space race when Neil Armstrong He landed on the moon in 1969.

Russia’s space program, which relies heavily on Soviet technologies, struggles to innovate and suffers from a lack of funding as Moscow prioritizes military spending.

Furthermore, it has been marred by corruption scandals and launch failures, as well as facing increasing competition from the United States, China and private companies such as SpaceXof the billionaire Elon Musk.

Source: Elcomercio