Russia Races India To The Moon

Russia's Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage and the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 blasted off from a launchpad at the Vostochny cosmodrome in the country's far eastern Amur region on Friday, August 11, 2023.

In a bid to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar South Pole, Russia launched its Luna-25 a month later than India's Chandrayaan-3 (July 14).

Luna-25 may land on the lunar surface earlier than Chandrayaan-3.

Luna-25 -- which has a lift off mass of 1,750 kg compared to Chandrayaan-3's 3,900 kg -- will have a direct trajectory towards the moon.

Chandrayaan's mission will last only one lunar day -- 14 earth days -- because it does not have a heating mechanism to keep its electronics safe from the extreme cold temperatures of a lunar night.

Luna-25's mission will continue for a earth year as it has a heating mechanism along with a power source and solar panels.

IMAGE: The Soyuz-2.1b is rolled out onto the launchpad ahead of its launch. Photograph: Roscosmos/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: The banner reads: 'Vostochny for Russia!' Photograph: Roscosmos/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: The Soyuz-2.1b is lifted on the launchpad. Photograph: Roscosmos/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: The Soyuz-2.1b blasts off. Photograph: Roscosmos/Vostochny Space Centre/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: Another view of the Soyuz-2.1b blast off. Photograph: Roscosmos/video grab/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: A close-up of Soyuz-2.1b's blast off. Photograph: Roscosmos/video grab/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: A different view of the Soyuz-2.1b lift off. Photograph: Roscosmos/video grab/Handout/Reuters

IMAGE: Earlier, specialists took part in preparations for of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25, here and below. Photograph: Roscosmos/Handout/Reuters