Russia to evacuate village for launch of first lunar lander mission in half century

Russia is all set to evacuate a village in its far east on August 11 as part of the launch of its first lunar lander mission in nearly half a century, a local official said on Monday.

The mission, named Luna-25, marks a significant milestone for Russia as it’s their first lunar lander since 1976. The launch is scheduled to take place from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, located approximately 3,450 miles (5,550 km) east of Moscow, as confirmed by Russia’s Roscosmos space agency.

To ensure the safety of the residents, the Shakhtinskyi settlement in Russia’s Khabarovsk region, southeast of the launch site, will be evacuated early in the morning on August 11. The decision to evacuate is a precautionary measure since the village falls within the projected area where the rocket boosters are expected to descend after separation.

“The mouth of the Umalta, Ussamakh, Lepikan, Tastakh, Saganar rivers and the area of the ferry crossing on the Bureya River fall into the predicted (booster) fall zone,” Alexei Maslov, head of the Verkhnebureinskyi district in the Khabarovsk region, said on the Telegram messaging app.

“The residents of Shakhtinskyi will be evacuated.“Luna-25 will launch on a Soyuz-2 Fregat booster and will be the first lander to arrive on the South Pole of the moon, Roscosmos has said.

The main objective of the mission will be the development of soft-landing technologies, research of the internal structure of the Moon and exploration for resources, including water.

The lander is expected to operate on the lunar surface for one year.

With inputs from Reuters.