STAR CITY /Moscow Region/, November 15. /TASS/. Russian cosmonauts are set to make the first landing on the Earth’s natural satellite in 2031-2040, Russia’s Chief Designer for Piloted Space Systems, Energia Space Rocket Corporation Chief Designer, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Solovyov said on Wednesday.

"Preparations for deploying a lunar base in 2031-2040," according to a draft roadmap of the Moon’s exploration presented by Solovyov at a plenary session of the 15th international scientific and practical conference: "Piloted Space Flights" at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center.

As Solovyov’s report suggests, this stage of exploring the Earth’s natural satellite is set to commence crewed expeditions (including the first landing) and geological surveys. The construction of Russia’s lunar base is scheduled for 2041-2050. In addition, this period is intended to "bolster" Russia’s "priority" on the Moon, the roadmap stresses.

Rare resources and support of expeditions

In 2041-2050, Russia also plans to begin the extraction and use of water and oxygen on the Moon as stipulated in the roadmap. In addition, Russian specialists are expected to test the technologies of production based on local resources. For this purpose, Russia will use experimental mining and production systems, drilling and extraction equipment, the roadmap suggests.

After 2050, Russia plans to use lunar resources for space exploration, including the production of rare resources and support for deep space expeditions as stipulated in the roadmap. For this purpose, Russia plans to create lunar facilities for the production and storage of fuel components, orbital assembly and refueling capacities and a complex for extracting rare resources.

The Soviet lunar program envisaged setting up a network of habitable bases and conducting scientific experiments in various areas of the Earth’s natural satellite in 1970-1985. There were also plans to provide conditions by the early 1970s for the stay of cosmonauts on the Moon for 15-20 days. The larger part of the Soviet lunar program was not implemented. Russia resumed the lunar program in 2021.