Russia's Moon Mission Is Ready for Take Off; Here's How to Watch Luna 25's Launch

Russia's moon mission, Lunar 25, is ready for takeoff. If you are a fan of space, here's how to watch the moon mission's launch and what you need to know about it.

Russia's Moon Mission is Ready for Take Off

The Lunar 25 mission is a big deal for Russia since it will be the first moon mission of the country in almost half a century (since 1976).

Space.Com reported that the space activity is scheduled for take-off on Thursday, Aug. 10. Roscosmos plans to launch the Lunar 25 at 7:10 EDT (Aug. 11, 2:10 am Moscow time).

Ever since Roscosmos launched the successful Lunar 24 mission in 1976, Russia hasn't followed up on another moon mission.

When the Lunar 24, which returned a sample of lunar dirt and rock back to Earth, was launched, Russia wasn't a sovereign nation. Instead, it was a part of the Soviet Union.

This is another reason why Lunar 25 is a big deal since it will be the first moon mission of Russia as a sovereign country.

For those who are interested to watch this exciting space launch, Roscosmos confirmed that it will provide the live stream via its official website.

The Russian space agency will start covering the Lunar 25 mission at 6:00 p.m. EDT (Aug. 11, 1:00 a.m. Moscow time).

About Lunar 25 Mission

Euro News reported that the Lunar 25 mission will be completed without any equipment from ESA (European Space Agency).

This is because Roscosmos already ended its cooperation with ESA due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia said that it will replace the components with Russian-made instruments. A Soyuz rocket, which has been assembled at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East, will launch the Lunar 25 lander.

Before the Lunar 25 reaches its destination, which is the lunar south pole of the moon, it will spend five to seven days in lunar orbit.

After that, it will attempt to make a landing on the said lunar region. The schedule of the Russian moon mission will be around the same time as India's lunar mission launch.
The Chandrayaan 3 is expected to put a lander and rover near the lunar south pole on Aug. 23.

Once the Lunar 25 lands on the moon, it will demonstrate numerous space technologies for lunar exploration.

If you want to learn more about this Russian space activity, you can click this link.