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Russia launched its first probe to the Moon in almost 50 years on Friday, a mission designed to give fresh impetus to its space sector, which has been struggling for years and become isolated by the conflict in Ukraine.
The launch of the Luna-25 probe is Moscow's first lunar mission since 1976, when the USSR was a pioneer in the conquest of space.
The rocket with the Luna-25 probe lifted 
Russia launches first Moon mission in nearly 50 years
by AFP Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Aug 10, 2023
Russia launched its first probe to the Moon in almost 50 years on Friday, a mission designed to give fresh impetus to its space sector, which has been struggling for years and become isolated by the conflict in Ukraine.
The launch of the Luna-25 probe is Moscow's first lunar mission since 1976, when the USSR was a pioneer in the conquest of space.
The rocket with the Luna-25 probe lifted off at 02:10 am Moscow time (2310 GMT Thursday) from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, according to live images broadcast by the Russian space agency Roscosmos.
The spacecraft is due to reach lunar orbit in five days.
It will then spend between three and seven days choosing the right spot before landing in the lunar south pole area.
"For the first time in history, the lunar landing will take place on the lunar south pole. Until now, everyone has been landing in the equatorial zone," senior Roscosmos official Alexander Blokhin said in a recent interview.
Roscosmos expects the probe to land on the Moon around August 21, a source in the agency told AFP.
- 'The ambition of our ancestors' -
The spacecraft, which will remain on the Moon for a year, will be tasked with "taking (samples) and analysing the soil" as well as "conducting long-term scientific research", the Russian space agency said.
The launch is the first mission in Russia's new lunar programme, which gets underway at a time when Roscosmos is being deprived of its partnerships with the West amid the conflict with Ukraine.
According to Russian space expert Vitali Iegorov, the mission is the first time that post-Soviet Russia has attempted to place a device on a celestial body.
"The biggest question will be: can it land?" he told AFP, stressing that this mission is "of great importance" for Russia.
President Vladimir Putin has pledged to continue Russia's space programme despite sanctions, pointing to the USSR's sending of the first man into space in 1961, at a time of escalating East-West tensions.
"We are guided by the ambition of our ancestors to move forward, despite difficulties and external attempts to prevent us from doing so," Putin said at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last year.
The mission is important for the Russian space sector, which is suffering from funding problems, corruption scandals and increasing competition from the United States and China, as well as from private initiatives such as billionaire Elon Musk's SpaceX.
- 'Ambition of our ancestors' -
The European Space Agency (ESA) said it would not cooperate with Moscow on the Luna-25 launch -- as well as future 26 and 27 missions -- after Putin deployed troops in Ukraine last year.
Moscow vowed to go ahead with the mission and replace ESA equipment with Russian-made instruments.
Speaking at the Vostochny Cosmodrome last year, Putin said the Soviet Union had sent the first man to space in 1961 despite a "total" sanction regime.
He said Russia would develop its lunar programme despite Western economic penalties that reached unprecedented levels over the Ukraine conflict.
"We are guided by the ambition of our ancestors to move forward, despite any difficulties and despite external attempts to prevent us from moving," Putin said.
In June, the head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, described the launch as high-risk.
"This mission involves landing at the south pole. No one in the world has ever done such things," he said during a meeting with Putin.
Most Moon landings have occurred near the lunar equator.
"These kinds of missions are always risky," he told the Russian leader, claiming estimates put the chance of success at around 70 percent.
The rocket boosters are predicted to fall in the vicinity of the village of Shakhtinsky in the far-eastern region of Khabarovsk, so the residents of the settlement will be evacuated on Friday morning, local authorities said.
The last Soviet Moon mission in 1976, the Luna 24, brought lunar soil samples back to Earth.
The Soviets launched the first satellite Sputnik, and sent into orbit the first animal, a dog named Laika; the first man, Yuri Gagarin; and the first woman, Valentina Tereshkova.
Russia's programme, which still relies on Soviet-designed technology, has struggled to innovate and the Kremlin has instead prioritised military spending.
It has also been plagued by corruption scandals and botched launches, and faced competition from the United States and growing Chinese ambitions.
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