Roscosmos Releases 1st Photos Taken by Luna-25; IKI RAS Shuts Down Rumors About Moon Lander’s Health

Luna-25 is doing good amid rumors about its health. The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, released the spacecraft's first photos from outer space.

Roscosmos, IKI-RAS Released Luna-25 Moon Lander's First Photos

Luna-25 was launched on Aug. 10 atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur Region. It took its first images on Sunday, and the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS) published them on Monday.

Roscosmos said in a statement published on Telegram on Aug. 14 that the photographs feature the device's design against the backgrounds of the Earth, from which they have already parted forever as it makes its way to the moon - its final destination.

The photographs were shot at around 192,625 miles (310,000 km) from Earth, while the moon is typically about 238,855 miles (384,400 km) away, per IKI RAS.

Luna-25 Is Doing Good Despite Health Scare

There was some initial concern expressed on social media about the condition of Luna-25 in the days following its launch. However, the photographs alleviate these concerns and demonstrate that the moon lander is healthy and traveling to the moon.

According to a statement from IKI RAS accompanying the photographs, all spacecraft systems function normally, contact with the station is stable, and there is a positive energy balance.

If all goes as planned, Luna-25 will reach the moon on Tuesday (Aug. 15) and then orbit the moon for five to seven days. The probe will then try to settle close to one of the three craters surrounding the lunar south pole. The instrument was made to last for at least a year.

Upon landing successfully, Luna-25 will study the lunar soil, look for water ice, and research the moon's tenuous atmosphere. The Lander is equipped with eight pieces of equipment, including a laser mass spectrometer and a tool for zapping lunar soil samples and analyzing the chemical makeup of the ensuing gases.

Luna-25 is the latest in a long line of international moon missions to explore or land close to the lunar south pole.

On Aug. 7, the Chandrayaan-3 rover from India entered lunar orbit. On Aug. 23, it is anticipated to land close to the moon's south pole. In August 2022, South Korea launched the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO), equipped with the NASA-operated ShadowCam.

Lunar Lander Chandrayaan-3

Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2. The mission aims to show a soft and safe lunar landing, lunar rover wandering, and in-situ scientific experimentation.

It is set up with Land Rovers and Landers. The propulsion module will carry the lander and rover configuration up to a 100-kilometer lunar orbit when LVM3 is launched from SDSC SHAR in Sriharikota. The propulsion module is outfitted with the Spectro-Polarimetry of Habitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload, which will be used to analyze Earth's spectral and Polarimetric data from the lunar orbit.

Chandrayaan-3 is equipped with an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM), and Rover for research and technological demonstration. The Lander will be able to soft-land at a selected spot on the moon, and the rover will be released to conduct a chemical assessment of the lunar surface.

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