As per the video feed provided by Roscosmos, the Luna-25 embarked on its journey seamlessly from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, situated in the Far East of Russia. This cosmodrome holds particular significance as it is a personal endeavor championed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Its strategic importance lies in President Putin’s aspirations to elevate Russia’s status to that of a space powerhouse and shift the locus of Russian launches from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

The lunar mission will show that Russia “is a state capable of delivering a payload to the moon,” and “ensure Russia’s guaranteed access to the moon’s surface,” Roscosmos said.

Initially, the Luna-25 mission encompassed intentions of incorporating a lunar rover; nevertheless, analysts reveal that this idea was ultimately dismissed in order to augment the spacecraft’s reliability through a reduction in its overall weight.

Currently, the space agencies of the world are in a race to make a successful landing on the south pole of the moon. The side of the moon remains largely unexplored with the space scientists intrigued about the polar crater which can hold valuable reserves of water. In case the scientists are able to tap those resources, the water reserves can come in handy in various things like it can be converted into breathable air or rocket fuel.

Updated: 18 Aug 2023, 08:08 PM IST