Russia Sends Spacecraft To Moon, Weeks After Chandrayaan-3 Launch

Russia launched its Luna-25 spacecraft weeks after India launched Chandrayaan-3, marking the nation's first space mission since 1976. 

India and Russia are competing against one another to be the first to set foot on the south pole of the moon.

We have covered the entire news in this below given article, read it till the end.

Russia Sends Spacecraft To Moon August 2023

In an effort to be the first country to carry out a soft landing on the lunar (Moon) south pole, which is thought to be home to sought-after pockets of water ice, Russia launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in forty-seven years on Friday.

Chandrayaan-3 and Luna-25

• The Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, which  ISRO (Indian Space Agency) launched last month, is competing with the first Russian lunar mission since 1976. 

• More broadly along with the US and China, both India and Russia have advanced lunar exploration programs targeting the lunar south pole.

Russian Luna 25 Spacecraft 2023 Information

Information of Luna 25, the Russian Spacecraft towards moon, is given below:

Russian Spacecraft Luna-25 Details

• The propulsion system, fuel tanks, absorbent supports, part of the communication system antennas and scientific instruments like a manipulator to gather soil samples, a working neutron spectrometer, and a lunar dust recorder are all located in the bottom portion of the spacecraft.

Russian Spacecraft Launch Details

• At 2:11 am on Friday Moscow time, a Soyuz 2.1v rocket carrying the Luna-25 ship launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome, 5,550 kilometers east of Moscow. 

• Over an hour later, the upper stage of the rocket propelled the lander out of Earth's orbit and towards the moon.

Landing Date of Russian Spacecraft

• On August 21, the lander is anticipated to arrive on the moon, according to Yuri Borisov, Russia's space chief, speaking to Interfax on Friday. 

• The landing date was earlier predicted for August 23rd by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.

• After the launch, Borisov said to those working at the Vostochny Cosmodrome (Russian Spaceport):

"Now we will wait for August 21. I hope that a highly precise soft landing on the moon will happen." 

When did Russian lunar landings start?

• On August 18, 1976, Luna 24, Russia's final lunar lander, touched down on the moon. 

• According to Reuters, previously there was a race to see which nation would arrive first when India's Chandrayaan-3 mission and Luna 25 both intend to touch down at the lunar south pole on August 23rd. 

When will Luna 25 touchdown on the Moon?

• Luna 25 will get to the Moon in around 5.5 days. A report stated that Luna 25 will be expected to enter lunar orbit on August 16th. 

• Luna 25 was originally scheduled to land on the lunar surface on August 23rd, but that date is now moved to August 21st.

How frequently has Russia visited the Moon?

• Indeed, the Soviet space program was an innovator in space exploration, and many of its cosmonauts, including Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova, rose to fame. 

• The USSR has sent 23 visits to the Moon throughout, but no cosmonauts have ever touched down on the lunar surface.

What is a Cosmonaut?

• A person who has been trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or be a crew member of a spacecraft is known as an astronaut or cosmonaut.

Russian and Indian Spacecraft to Moon Comparison

The two missions are studying the Moon's surface at different times and with different goals.

• The Chandrayaan-3 lander weighs 1,752 kg, while the four-legged Russian lander weighs about 800 kg. 

• The Chandrayaan-3 lander and rover will conduct its tests for 14 days on Earth if the landing is successful, while Luna-25 will operate on the Moon for a year.

Conclusion

Complete details about the Russian’s sending Spacecraft to Moon just a few weeks after Chandrayaan-3 Launch. Chandrayaan-3 is the ISRO (Indian Space Agency) spacecraft. 

Previously there was a competition between these two nations for reaching the moon’s south pole first, but now it has been confirmed that the Russian Spacecraft (Luna 25) will reach the moon by August 21st and the Indian Spacecraft (Chandrayaan-3) is going to reach the moon's surface on August 23rd. 

Read the complete article and know more about the launches of these Spacecrafts to explore the surface of the moon.