The Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket was launched from the Vostochny cosmodrome with the first Russian station Luna-25 in almost 50 years. As the head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, specified, the landing of the station on the Moon is expected on August 21, and the area in the southern polar region of the Moon, north of the Boguslavsky crater, will become the landing site.
Borisov noted that after the launch at 2:20 am, the upper stage with the lunar lander separated from the third stage of the launch vehicle. The station will spend three to seven days in orbit, preparing for a soft landing. After landing, Luna-25 will conduct scientific research. The term of work is calculated for a year.
On board the station is about 31 kg of scientific equipment designed to study the lunar regolith and the exosphere. So, the station has a lunar manipulator capable of excavating the soil and taking its samples.
The previous Luna 24 mission was sent in 1976 and delivered 170 g of lunar soil to earth. At the same time, the current expedition to the lunar pole is the first: all Soviet lunar stations landed in the equatorial zone.
Source: Rosbalt
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