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Next launch window for Luna-25 probe scheduled for July-August — Roscosmos chief

Yury Borisov said he hoped that the Luna-25 probe would touch down softly in the area of the lunar south pole and carry out all the necessary explorations

MOSCOW, December 21. /TASS/. The next launch window for the Luna-25 automatic lunar probe has been scheduled for July-August 2023, Roscosmos Chief Yury Borisov said in a live broadcast on the Rossiya-24 TV channel on Wednesday.

"Today we have two stages of the lunar program: these are the Moon’s explorations with the help of automatic inter-planetary satellite systems. Unfortunately, this year we have had to postpone the flight until the next year due to a fault in the Doppler velocity and distance device. In December this year, the device already arrived at the Lavochkin Research and Production Association and confirmed its technical characteristics. But, unfortunately, the next launch window will be available in July-August next year," Borisov said.

The Roscosmos chief said he hoped that the Luna-25 probe would touch down softly in the area of the lunar south pole and carry out all the necessary explorations.

"After that, a whole series of automatic probe launches will follow: the Luna-26 and the Luna-27 that will specify the future landing site and [carry out] remote sensing and choose the place for landing. The Luna-29 mission already implies the availability of a lunar rover," the Roscosmos head stressed.

The last domestic Luna-24 automatic probe was launched in 1976. The mission helped bring 170 grams of lunar soil to Earth.

The Luna-25 is set to become the first domestic spacecraft in Russia’s modern history on the surface of the Earth’s natural satellite. The lunar mission will be launched atop a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Fregat booster from the Vostochny spaceport in the Russian Far East. Under the lunar project, the Luna-25 automatic station will be launched for studies in the area of the lunar south pole. The lander is set to touch down in the area of the Boguslawsky crater.

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