Russia Shoots for the Moon
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Russia Shoots for the Moon
https://www.politico.eu/article/russ...ladimir-putin/
Russia shoots for the moon as space race against US heats up
Despite war and sanctions, Vladimir Putin is trying to haul Russia back into the space race.
In the early hours of Friday morning, state space agency Roscosmos is poised to launch the country's first lunar mission in nearly half a century as an ambitious play in the scramble to build a base on the moon.
“If they pull it off, it will be a massive technological and scientific achievement,” said Tim Marshall, author of "The Future of Geography" on the geopolitics of space. He argues a successful Russian landing, and fruitful year of research, would mark a big step forward in plans to build a moon base with China by the 2030s.….
Russia shoots for the moon as space race against US heats up
Despite war and sanctions, Vladimir Putin is trying to haul Russia back into the space race.
In the early hours of Friday morning, state space agency Roscosmos is poised to launch the country's first lunar mission in nearly half a century as an ambitious play in the scramble to build a base on the moon.
“If they pull it off, it will be a massive technological and scientific achievement,” said Tim Marshall, author of "The Future of Geography" on the geopolitics of space. He argues a successful Russian landing, and fruitful year of research, would mark a big step forward in plans to build a moon base with China by the 2030s.….
Strange - I guess with the Chinese and India getting involved the Russians want to get a marker down of some sort
Both the US and USSR lost interest in landing anything on the Moon in the early 70s, I suspect but haven't checked that the last American soft landing was in Dec '72
...plenty of orbiters and flybys since and of course if somebody finds water it will potentially be a game changer.
Russian (TASS) take on the why now etc here (Google translate looks to do a decent job on the language):
Luna 25

Russian (TASS) take on the why now etc here (Google translate looks to do a decent job on the language):
Luna 25
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Russian state-backed media channel RIA is reporting issues with the Russian Luna-25 lander, currently having trouble in orbit around the moon.

Great thread from Scott on what this actually means:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...274576500.html

Great thread from Scott on what this actually means:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...274576500.html
For info with regard to one comment in that link the Soviets/Russians have always had problems with deep/deepish space comms with traffic at equatorial and more southerly declinations, the current geopolitical adventures haven't really made that much of a difference..
Hence over the years they've on and off had a small fleet of ocean going vessels equipped with a formidable amount of comms hardware, one example here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet..._Yuriy_Gagarin
Hence over the years they've on and off had a small fleet of ocean going vessels equipped with a formidable amount of comms hardware, one example here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet..._Yuriy_Gagarin
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Seems, from multiple Russian sources, the pre-landing burn was at 1.5 times the planned impulse.
Those calculating the effect suggest it put the orbit sub-surface…
If it started at 91 x 113 km and was heading for 18 x 100, a 50% overburn would put it at -15 x 100 km (oops).
Those calculating the effect suggest it put the orbit sub-surface…
If it started at 91 x 113 km and was heading for 18 x 100, a 50% overburn would put it at -15 x 100 km (oops).
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Well that has been confirmed…. though I doubt the moon came off worse as indicated…
Roscosmos reports that the Russian Luna-25 lander "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface"
Roscosmos reports that the Russian Luna-25 lander "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface"

Lights out tonight, then?
Last edited by jolihokistix; 20th Aug 2023 at 11:31.
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You never know what you're going to see watching a Roscosmos stream of a Progress launch.
But truly I never expected this….
But truly I never expected this….