“Luna-25” entered the orbit of the natural satellite of the Earth

The automatic interplanetary station “Luna-25” reached the vicinity of the Moon on Wednesday and began a flyby of the Earth’s natural satellite, “Interfax” reported with reference to “Roscosmos”. Surveying of the lunar surface and preparation for landing will be carried out for several days.

Two engines of the station were turned on for maneuvering. The first switch-on was performed at 11:57 Moscow time by the correcting brake engine and lasted six minutes, the second by the soft-landing engines and lasted more than one minute. Roscosmos reported that the Luny-25 systems are working normally, a stable connection is maintained with it, and navigational parameters are regularly measured.

According to the general director of “Roscosmos” Yury Borisov, the soft landing of “Luny-25” on the South Pole of the Earth’s satellite will take place on August 21.

The state media of the Russian Federation pay special attention to the first flight of a Russian spacecraft to the Moon in the last 47 years. The lunar expedition against the background of the bloody war of aggression in Russia against Ukraine is one of the rare events that remind of the former space leadership of the USSR, the predecessor of the modern Russian Federation. Commentators in anti-Putin publications called the launch vehicle, which launched the device into space, the first peaceful Russian rocket since the beginning of Moscow’s hostilities against Ukraine.