Russia is set to undertake its first lunar mission in nearly five decades this Friday, setting the stage for a celestial rivalry with India, which is also aiming to land a lunar craft within this month.

The upcoming launch of the Luna-25 spacecraft marks Russia’s first lunar endeavor since 1976, during the era of the Soviet Union.

Notably, this mission is being executed independently, as the European Space Agency terminated its collaboration with Russia following its intervention in Ukraine, the Associated Press has reported.

Anticipated to arrive at the moon around August 23, the Russian lunar lander’s trajectory aligns closely with an Indian craft that was launched on July 14.

Both nations’ modules share the destination of the lunar south pole, an uncharted territory for successful spacecraft landings.

Among the select few to have accomplished moon landings are only three governments: the Soviet Union, the United States, and China.

The Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, is driven by the aim to demonstrate Russia’s capability to deliver payloads to the moon, emphasizing the nation’s prowess in securing access to the lunar surface.

Written by staff