Work on the transfer of the Luna-27 mission to Russian equipment will begin in 2023

The Institute for Space Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2023 will begin to transfer scientific equipment to Russian equipment, said Igor Mitrofanov, head of the department of nuclear planetology at the institute. According to him, before the development of devices was carried out using imported equipment, “which we could purchase from our foreign colleagues.”

“Now, since the sanctions restrictions have come, we will (switch to.— “b”) domestic equipment,” said Mr. Mitrofanov TASS. He noted that in 2023 the institute “will definitely work” on import substitution. According to Mr. Mitrofanov, because of the sanctions, scientists have to change design decisions.

It was planned that the Luna-26 mission would be implemented in 2024, Luna-27 in 2025, and Luna-28 in 2027-2028. However, due to the imposition of sanctions, the launch of the devices may be postponed for up to two years.

Luna-25 is the first mission to the Moon in the history of modern Russia. Within its framework, it is planned to send an automatic probe for research in the region of the south pole of the moon. The objectives of the Luna-26 orbiter will be the global mapping of the mineralogical composition of the Moon and the topography of its surface. The Luna-27 apparatus is supposed to drill the lunar soil to a depth of up to two meters, take samples and study them on the spot. Luna 28 is supposed to send soil samples back to Earth.

Leonid Uvarchev