Speaking at the Russia - Land of Opportunities forum held in Moscow, Roscosmos CEO Igor Komarov announced that, after a more than 40-year hiatus since the completion of the Russian lunar program, the Luna spacecraft will be launched within the next two years. 25 , which will study our natural satellite.
Previously, the launch of a rocket with a research probe was planned to be carried out in 2019, but it was decided to postpone it to 2020.
“We have been launching the Luna-25 mission within two years,” said Komarov, speaking at the forum.
The head of Roskosmos clarified that the name of the device appeared for a reason. The last Soviet station was launched to the Earth satellite in 1976 and was called Luna-24.
The objectives of the new mission are to study the chemical composition of the regolith of the polar regions of the Moon. In particular, it is planned to search and study the concentrations of volatile compounds of space origin, including water ice, which are of great interest. Instruments on board the spacecraft will also investigate processes in the lunar plasma-dusty polar exosphere.
Scientists have identified two possible landing sites for the descent probe on the lunar surface. One of them is the area located north of the southern polar crater Boguslavsky. An area southwest of the Manzini crater was selected as a backup option. The spacecraft will move in a low polar orbit around the Moon, and then decelerate and descend vertically.
In addition, Igor Komarov spoke at the forum about the nearest plans regarding the International Space Station. So, it became known that by 2021 the state corporation "Roscosmos" plans to make the Russian segment of the ISS autonomous. For these purposes, by this time, three additional modules will be launched at the station.
“We gave our industry a task so that by 2021, that is, years before the deadline agreed by us for joint work on the ISS expires, we would have the opportunity to separate and work independently within the Russian segment,” Komarov said.
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“For this we need to work out and launch new modules. Over the next three years, we will finally launch, I hope, three modules that will provide autonomy in terms of energy, engines, communication and life support systems, and the work of the Russian segment,”he added.
According to the general director of Roskomos, such measures are taken in case the partners of the Russian Federation refuse to cooperate on the ISS after 2025.
“At the same time, we believe, and this is our conviction, that working together is much more effective and better. This is an example when they only benefit from mutual cooperation,”said Komarov.
Nikolay Khizhnyak
