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Two more launches from Vostochny expected later this 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

VOSTOCHNY COSMODROME /Amur Region/, August 11. /TASS/. Two more launches of Soyuz carrier rockets are scheduled to take place from the Vostochny space launch facility in Russia’s Far East by the end of the year, said Dmitry Baranov, the director general of the Progress Rocket Space Center (RSC).

"Two rockets for the Vostochny cosmodrome have been manufactured and are scheduled to be delivered here in October," he said on Friday. "Two [rockets] are to blast off by the end of the 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.

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