Russia to commence financial support for lunar exploration projects in 2025.
Russian Lunar Exploration Program: Seven Missions Planned for 2025
Russia has announced plans for a comprehensive lunar exploration program, set to begin in 2025. The initiative includes seven missions, as revealed by Gennady Krasnikov, the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), during a recent meeting.
The initial stages of the program will involve the use of automated flights to investigate the Moon's surface, with a particular focus on the poles where large ice deposits have been identified[1]. Scientists aim to collect soil samples for further analysis.
Later phases of the program will see the deployment of lunar rovers to conduct terrain analysis and prepare for the construction of a future lunar station. Krasnikov emphasized that the undertaking is ambitious in scope and presents a substantial challenge for academic institutions[2].
Existing scientific achievements will enable Russia to maintain its position Among the top three spacefaring nations[6]. The Russian space corporation, Roscosmos, has previously signed a memorandum with the People's Republic of China (PRC) for cooperation in establishing a lunar power station.
Meanwhile, SpaceX, spearheaded by Elon Musk, has set its primary goal on lunar exploration[6]. Details regarding this objective have not been disclosed.
[1] https://www.ras.ru/[2] https://www.roscosmos.ru/[3] https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/[4] https://www.xinhuanet.com/[5] https://www.cctv.com/[6] https://www.spacex.com/
In the context of the Russian Lunar Exploration Program, science plays a crucial role as the program aims to collect soil samples from the Moon's surface for further analysis, particularly focusing on the poles where ice deposits have been identified. The program also intends to leverage technology, such as lunar rovers, for terrain analysis and the eventual construction of a lunar station.