This year, Russia will return to the moon for the first time since the 1970s.
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“Luna-25” will be the first in history to land on the south pole of the Earth’s satellite
Vladimir Putin and Mikhail Mishustin congratulated space industry workers on Cosmonautics Day. “We will give a worthy answer to all challenges!” the president assured. Part of this answer, as the visiting NGO them. Lavochkina Mishustin, will be the resumption of the lunar program in July this year and a unique flight to Venus in 2031.
The vast majority of Russians have told pollsters that they are not averse to becoming space tourists. 24% of those surveyed said they were ready to go to Mars, 10% to the Moon, and 9% to Venus. In order for at least someone’s dreams to become a reality in the distant future, NPO them. Lavochkina is working on the creation of several spacecraft at once: after all, without additional research, tourists cannot be sent on a trip to the solar system. The best prospects, as Mishustin was told, are with the Luna-25 project. In the past, Russia, as is known, had a very successful experience in studying this satellite. Two lunar rovers landed on its surface in 1970 and in 1973. In 1977, a third flight was planned, but the Americans stopped their lunar program, there was no one to compete with, and the mission was canceled. And then the launches of other devices also stopped. Russia plans to return to the moon this year. And return in triumph. “We are the first in the world to fly to the South Pole. All the rest landed in the equatorial regions, ”the developers triumphantly declared to Mishustin.
The south pole of the moon attracted the attention of scientists with a relief in which deposits of ice were found. According to the chief designer of lunar projects Pavel Kazmerchuk, there is not much of it there, so it is fundamentally important for Russia to occupy this area before other countries get to it. “Water, if its presence is confirmed, in the future can be used by astronauts or to create fuel,” he explained. It is planned that “Luna-25” will start from the ground on July 13, spend 10 days in flight, after which it will land on the south pole in a predetermined square. However, the collection of soil and sending it to Earth is the goal of subsequent expeditions. (The plans already include “Luna-26, -27 and -28”). At this stage, we are talking about working out a soft landing in mountainous terrain and contact studies. “God forbid that everything was fine!” Mishustin blessed the employees of the enterprise.
But if everything is more or less clear with the Moon, then what attracts space tourists to Venus is a big mystery for scientists. Once upon a time, our planets, apparently, really developed in a similar way, but at a certain point, the evolution of Venus changed dramatically. Now there is a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius and a dense shell of sulfuric acid vapor. Scientists want to find out what happened to our neighbor and why, and can global warming on Earth lead to the same sad result? “Perhaps there is a certain critical point of accumulation, after which the process of destruction of the atmosphere can no longer be stopped,” they fear. As Mishustin was told, the Venera-D apparatus is at the preliminary design stage. Its launch is scheduled for June 2031, when a suitable astronomical window appears and the two planets are in the same plane. As with the Moon, the Russian mission is considered unique. All foreign expeditions to Venus either work in orbit or throw a probe on its surface. And NPO them. Lavochkin intends to create an apparatus that can land and even work in the “inhuman” conditions of this planet for several hours. As part of the project, it is planned to test a supersonic parachute and several other unique developments.
“Thought out to the details,” Mishustin commented after watching the presentation. – Good luck to you.
From the conversation between the Prime Minister and the staff, it turned out that the most fantastic projects are commonplace for them. But the solution of domestic issues is a real fantasy. Especially when it comes to housing. Mishustin said that a decision had been made to compensate employees of the defense industry complex (which includes NPO named after Lavochkin) 50% of the cost of rent. He also asked the governor of the Moscow region Andrey Vorobyov to include 8 employees of the enterprise in the regional social mortgage program.
While the head of the Cabinet got acquainted with the practical results of the work of developers, Vladimir Putin was engaged in theory. The head of Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, reported to the President on the creation of a Russian orbital station, which should replace the ISS in 2028. “Time is running fast, we should never have breaks in manned astronautics. The preliminary design will be ready this summer,” Borisov said, promising to fill the president in on the details of creating the station and even show how it will look. But all this, alas, is closed. Vladimir Putin, in turn, said that budget funding for the space industry is not decreasing (this year they even gave 26 billion more than last year), and there really are a lot of plans. “These are not only some things related to science fiction, but also what the national economy needs right now and to strengthen the country’s defense capability,” he stressed.
It’s no secret that defense capability (as well as the ability to conduct successful combat operations) largely depends on communications satellites. Putin and Mishustin did not comment on this topic, however, Denis Manturov, who accompanied the prime minister, promised that by the end of the year the orbital group would grow from 192 communication facilities to 259, and from 2025 a “tangible increase” would begin. However, about the prospects for Russia’s leadership, which is now ahead of several countries, the Deputy Prime Minister says evasively: “we will either remain in our current place, or enter the top three.”
Newspaper headline:
Pursuit of moon water
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