The pictures appear to show that Luna-25 is in good health.
The first photographs from space have been returned by Russia's first lunar
landing since 1976.
The Luna-25 mission, the first homegrown spacecraft to reach the moon in
contemporary Russian history, launched on August 10 atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket
from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's far eastern Amur Region. The
Luna-24 moon mission, was launched in 1976 from what is now Russia, brought
back around 6.2 ounces (170 grams) of lunar samples. Due in part to Russia's
conflict on Ukraine, which has had a significant impact on international
spaceflight collaboration, the launch of Luna-25 had many delays.
The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IKI RAS)
captured the first photographs of Luna-25 on August 13 and released them on
August 14. Images of Earth and the moon glowing brightly against the
blackness of space are displayed with the Russian flag and mission patch on
the spacecraft's structure in the collection of black-and-white
photographs.
The Russian state space agency Roscosmos stated in a statement posted on
Telegram on August 14 (translation by Google) that the images "show the
elements of the device's design against the background of the Earth, from
which we have already departed forever, and against the background of the
moon, to which we will soon arrive."
According to IKI RAS, the photographs were shot at a distance of around
192,625 miles (310,000 km) from Earth. In contrast, the moon is typically
located around 238,855 miles (384,400 km) from Earth.
Although there was some early concern
expressed on social media
about the condition of Luna-25 in the days following its launch, the
photographs seem to allay these concerns and demonstrate that the lander is
healthy and traveling to the moon.
In a statement
that accompanied the photographs, IKI RAS stated that "all systems of the
spacecraft are operating normally, communication with the station is stable,
and the energy balance is positive" (Google translation).
If all goes as planned, Luna-25 will reach the moon on Tuesday, August 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 that encircle the lunar south pole.
At least a year of operation was included into the probe's design.
Upon landing successfully, Luna-25 will study the lunar soil, look for
water ice, and carry out research on the moon's tenuous atmosphere. The
lander is equipped with eight distinct 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 multinational moon missions with
the goal of exploring or landing close to the lunar south pole.
On August 7, the Chandrayaan-3 rover from India entered lunar orbit. On
August 23, it is anticipated to land close to the south pole of the moon. In
August 2022, South Korea launched the Korea Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO)
with the NASA-operated ShadowCam to assist in the search for water ice near
the south pole of the moon.
And as part of the Artemis 3 mission, NASA's Artemis Program hopes to send
people close to the moon's south pole no sooner than 2025.
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