For the first time in nearly half a century, Russia has launched a spacecraft that is headed to the moon. On Friday morning at a spaceport in the far eastern part of Russia, a rocket lifted Luna-25, a robotic lander of moderate size, to Earth orbit. It will try to land in the moon’s south polar region, where the presence of water ice has attracted the attention of numerous space programs, and make a year’s worth of scientific observations. The mission has been in development for years before Russia invaded Ukraine, but it is also occurring at a moment when President Vladimir V. Putin is looking to space as one way to signal Russia’s return to great-power status. The Soyuz rocket began its flight under cloudy skies at the Vostochny launchpad. About 80 minutes after the launch, the Luna-25 spacecraft was pushed on a course to the moon according to an update from Roscosmos, the Russian space agency. It is to reach the moon and enter orbit on Aug. 16, and then attempt to land on the surface as early as Aug. 21. In recent years under Mr. Putin’s rule, the Soviet era has been venerated as the apex of Russian power while the crimes and injustices of Communist rule have been papered over.
Full story : Nearly 50 Years After Its Last Journey, Russia Launches Toward the Moon.
