Russian Space Agency Roscosmos has decided to launch its LUNA 25 mission, set to land on the moon’s south pole.
Following Chandrayaan-3, Roscosmos is going to launch its moon mission on Friday 11, 2023. Chandrayaan-3 was launched recently on July 15, Russia’s mission comes after four weeks after ISRO’s successful launch.
Who will be the first to land, Luna 25 or Chandrayaan-3?
According to Roscosmos, LUNA 25 will take 5 days to travel to the moon and around five to seven days in lunar orbit. Surely it will take much less time as compared to Chandrayaan-3 but will land around the same time. There will be no interference between the two as both of them have separate landing bases.
Difference between Luna 25 and Chandrayaan -3.
According to NASA, Russia’s Luna 25 will study the composition of the surface material ( lunar polar regolith ) and the plasma and dust components of the lunar polar exosphere. Whereas Chandrayaan-3’s aim is to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the moon’s surface, rover mobility, and scientific experiments on the landing spot.
According to the timeline, Russia’s lunar mission could land on the moon around the same time or shortly before India’s mission. However, the Russian space agency has stated that there will be no interference between the two tasks as they have separate landing areas planned. The Russian Space Agency has assured that there is enough space for everyone on the moon.
Russia’s ready to embark on a new age of discovery on the final frontier by returning to the Moon, with the Luna-25 unmanned craft due to blast off from Vostochny Cosmodrome on August 11. pic.twitter.com/KsnrWcpHEe
— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2023
Aim of Luna 25 and Chandrayaan-3
The Luna 25 mission aims to study the composition of the lunar polar regolith and the plasma and dust components of the lunar polar exosphere. On the other hand, Chandrayaan-3 aims to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, rover mobility, and scientific experiments on landing site.
The Luna 25 lander has a four-legged base that houses landing rockets and propellant tanks, while an upper compartment contains solar panels, communication equipment, onboard computers, and scientific instruments. Chandrayaan-3 consists of made-in-India lander module, a propulsion module, and a rover equipped with scientific payloads for chemical analysis of the lunar surface.
Payload of Luna 25.
Luna 25 carries eight science instruments, including gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers, infrared spectrometers, mass spectrometers, and imaging systems. The Chandrayaan-3 lander carries payloads like Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment and Langmuir Probe, while the rover carries instruments like Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope.
Landing site of Luna 25 and Chandrayaan-3.
The primary landing site for Luna 25 is near the lunar south pole, with a reserve site located southwest of the Manzini crater. Chandrayaan-3’s landing site is located at specific lunar coordinates in the southern region.
How longer will both operate on the moon?
Luna 25’s lander is expected to operate on the lunar surface for approximately one year. The mission life of Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover is approximately one lunar day i.e., 14 Earth days.
Booster rockets and Launch vehicles used.
Luna-25 will launch using a Soyuz-2 Fregat booster while Chandrayaan-3 will launch using the Launch Vehicle Mark-III M4 rocket.
Why landing on the south pole of lunar surface?
The south pole of the Moon is a highly valued target despite its challenging terrain for landing. Scientists believe it could contain substantial amounts of ice which could be helpful in extracting fuel, oxygen, and even drinking water.