Roscosmos could shift focus to researching Moon's north pole - Russian scientists
MOSCOW. Aug 5 (Interfax) - By 2028 the most convenient areas at the Moon's south pole will have been occupied and researched by other countries, which is why Roscosmos should concentrate on studying the north pole, a leading academic from the Russian Space Research Institute said.
"We have proposed the idea of sending the first Luna 27 craft to the north pole and its duplicate to the south pole. In the best case scenario, we will land on both. That way we will secure Russia's rights to promising territories for subsequent exploration at both the north and south poles," Lev Zelyony, scientific director for the first stage of the Russian lunar program, said in an interview with the Pro Kosmos publication.
There is the probability that areas of the south pole, which possibly contain considerable reserves of water ice, will have been studied and occupied by other nations in 2028, he said.
"But there is also the Moon's north pole, where water ice was also discovered, though not in such vast quantities, but it is there. So we proposed that we reorient ourselves from the Moon's south to north pole, given that landing there should not be more technically complicated," he said.
If the spacecraft touches down successfully, it could make Russia the first researcher of the Moon's north pole, he said.
"This matter is now under discussion. I am saying this deliberately, because I think it is very important from the standpoint of both politics and the future development of lunar research and lunar exploration," Zelyony said.
On December 26, 2023 Roscosmos chief Yury Borisov said that the Russian Academy of Sciences had proposed that the state corporation create two Luna 27 lunar landers to ensure a successful mission.
"The Academy of Sciences came up with a proposal to create two satellites, Luna 27A and Luna 27B, to ensure reliability and guarantee the completion of the mission. We're now considering the proposal," Borisov said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 (VGTRK) television channel.
The first lunar mission in Russia's modern history began on August 11. Luna 25 took off from Vostochny Cosmodrome and a soft landing on the Moon's South Pole was planned for August 21. However, the spacecraft crashed on the Moon and was lost on August 19.
A preliminary conclusion of the interagency commission is the abnormal functioning of the control system, which failed to turn on the accelerometers and thus prevented the engine from stopping on time.
According to Roscosmos head Yury Borisov, the engine ran for 127 seconds instead of the planned 84 seconds, which was the main reason for the accident.
Borisov said earlier that the Luna 26 mission was planned for 2027, to be followed by Luna 27 in 2028 and Luna 28 by 2030.
