VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME /Amur Region/, August 11. /TASS/. The landing of Luna-25, the first moon mission in the history of modern Russia, is expected to touch the lunar surface on August 21, Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov said on Friday.

The official described the mission’s launch as a success.

"We are now waiting for [August] 21. I hope that the highly accurate landing on the Moon will be successful," he said, congratulating the ground crew that conducted the launch.

In his words, the spacecraft is to reach the Moon’s orbit on August 16.

Overall, the mission is expected to take about one year.

Luna-25, the first lunar mission in the history of modern Russia, took off from the Vostochny launch facility in Russia’s Far East at 2:10 a.m. on Friday Moscow time. The mission’s key goal will be to polish the soft landing technology.

The mission may become the first spacecraft ever to land near the South Pole of the Earth’s natural satellite. The spacecraft will look for natural resources, including water, and study the effects of space rays and electromagnetic emissions on the lunar surface.

The lander is equipped with several cameras. They will make a timelapse footage of the landing and an HDR wide-angle image of the moonscape. Luna-25 will turn its cameras during pre-programmed periods and on a signal from the Earth.