Posted on 08/19/2023 9:33:16 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
Russia has launched an uncrewed spacecraft to the Moon’s south pole — its first lunar mission in 47 years. If successful, the mission would be the first to land in the region, and could mark the start of considerable activity there involving multiple countries and private companies.
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Luna 25 launched aboard a Soyuz rocket at 11.11 p.m. UT on 10 August from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in eastern Russia — marking a move away from Russia’s dependence on Kazakhstan, which hosts its main launch site, the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It will take around 5 days for the spacecraft to reach a 100-kilometre orbit around the Moon. The landing attempt is scheduled for 21 August at the 100-kilometre-wide Boguslawsky crater, about 500 kilometres from the Moon’s south pole.
(Excerpt) Read more at nature.com ...
It crashed into the crater after the failed maneuver.
May be the first and last historic photo released by any Russian space venture for the foreseeable future or ever.
And….it’s gone.
The Soviets were pretty impressive in the space race. Their golden age was the period after WWII, but it appears that after 20 years, they stagnated and weren’t able to do much. But their Soyuz rockets have been reliable. So they have that.
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