Key Takeaways
- The Luna-25 lunar station was launched to explore the Moon’s south pole.
- Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East served as the launch site using a Soyuz‑2.1b rocket.
- The mission’s first stage concluded when Luna-25 entered a lunar transfer orbit after separating from the Fregat upper stage.
Vladivostok: Russia successfully launched the Luna-25 lunar station early on Friday, embarking on a historic mission to explore the south pole of the Moon.
The station, which does not have a return capsule, was launched by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket with a Fregat upper stage from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast of Russia’s Far East.
Nine minutes after the lift-off, the Fregat upper stage with the Luna-25 station separated from the third stage of the rocket.
About one hour later, Luna-25 separated from the Fregat upper stage and successfully entered the flight path to the Moon, marking the successful completion of the first stage of its mission.
