Roscosmos Announces That It Expects To Begin Landing Humans On Moon By 2030, Continued Missions May Set Up Lunar Base Infrastructures; Plans To Launch Luna-26 Polar Orbiter 2018, Luna-27 Lander To Moon South Pole 2019, Luna-28 Sample Return Mission To Moon South Pole 2020, Luna-29 Lander 2021; Russia Independent Space Station May Serve As Transport Point For Moon Missions
Image Credit: Roscosmos, IKI, NASA
RSC Energia Deputy General Nikolai Bryukhanov Says Russia Aerospace Enterprise Is Working On Creating New Crewed Spacecraft For Missions To The Moon; European Space Agency Releases New Video Outlining Plans For Possible Human Mission To Far Side Moon; Agency Sees South Pole-Aitken Basin As Promising Location For Human Habitation & Development, Moon Place Where All Nations Can Come Together To Understand Common Origins, Build Common Future
Image Credit: RSC Energia, ESA
Angara-5, Largest Rocket Developed By Russia, Achieves Successful Test Flight To GTO; 1st Launch To GEO From Domestic Plesetsk Cosmodrome As Country Moves To Become More Self-Sufficient In Launch Capacities; Largest Of New Generation Of Modular Launch Vehicles Capable Of Carrying 3.8-35 Metric Tons; 1st Crewed Voyage With Heavy Angara Currently Scheduled For 2018; Rocket Capable Of Facilitating Moon Missions, Yet Super-Heavy Launcher Needed To Accomplish Stated Moon Base Goals; President Putin Recently Approved Development Of Super-Heavy Angara With Payload Capacity Of 120-150 Metric Tons
Image Credit: NASASpaceflight, NASA
Head Of Roscosmos, Oleg Ostapenko, Says Russia May Build Its Own Space Station As Transfer Point For Moon Missions & For Testing Crewed Spacecraft For Lunar Exploration Program, Projected To Begin Construction In 2017; Roscosmos Will Make Decision In Jan 2015 On New Super-Heavy Rocket Design For Moon Program, Capable Of Lifting 80 Metric Tons Of Cargo, Additional Rocket Capable Of Carrying 130-160 Metric Tons Also Planned; Current Plans Outline Full-Scale Russia Moon Exploration Program In 2016-2025
Image Credit: Roscosmos, NASA
Moon Mining Beneficial For Future Exploration & Economic Development Of Moon Through ISRU, Advancing Cislunar Space / Solar System Exploration With Fuel Depots, Satisfying Terrestrial Demand For Rare Resources; Ian Crawford, Science Advisor Of UK Lunar Mission One Project, Argues That Providing Products For Cislunar Infrastructure Is Most Compelling / Economically Viable Application In Near Future; Russia Indicates Importing Rare Earth Elements To Earth Is A Primary Goal Of Its Moon Mining Plans, Backed By US$2.5B In Private / State Funding
Image Credit: NASA, Birkbeck University
Roscosmos Head Of Strategic Planning Department Yuri Makarov States Moon Is Central To Space Program & Will Enable Solar System Missions, Envisions International Cooperation; During This & Next Decade Focus On Automatic Spaceships & Stations, In 2030s Lunar Orbital Stations & Vehicles, 2040s Crewed Lunar Station Near Moon South Pole, 2050s Inhabited Bases & Optical Laboratories; Robotic Missions Luna-25 (Which May Cost Tens Of Billions Of Rubles ~US$250M) Through Luna-29 (2016-2021) To Be Followed By Human Moon Flyby 2025, Landing By 2030
Image Credit: Roscosmos, Andrey Sokolov, Alexey Leonov, NASA
The 5th Moscow Solar System Symposium On 13-18 Oct At The Russia Space Research Institute (IKI) Will Feature An Overview Of Upcoming Russia Lunar Missions; Lev Zelenyi (C) & Igor Mitrofanov Of IKI Will Detail The Planned Sequence Of Missions: Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs, Luna Grunt & Then Discuss The Integrated Program Of Roscosmos Human & Robotic Missions; Bérengère Houdou (L) Of ESA Will Address Europe-Russia Lunar Exploration Cooperation; Additional Lectures Will Evaluate Potential Lunar Subpolar Landing Sites & The Boguslawsky Crater Landing Site Selection For Luna-Glob
Image Credit: IKI, ESA
Russia Actions / Statements Indicate A Growing Seriousness About Finally Fulfilling Long-Standing Plans To Put Humans On Moon; Roscosmos Recent Budgetary Request For US$770M To Advance Robotic Moon Program Includes US$55M To Complete Technical Specifications For Human Lunar Base; Development Of Prospective Piloted Transport System (PPTS) (TR), Next Generation Russia Crew Capsule With 4-Person Capacity To Moon Orbit; Angara Rocket (BR) Emerging As Contender For PPTS Launches; Projected Launch Schedule Sees Lunar PPTS Launching in ~2024 – Last Year Of Current ISS Program
Image Credit: Roscosmos
Director Of Space Research Institute IKI Lev Zeleny Confirms All Approved Lunar Missions Remain On Table; Domino Effect Of Mission Delays Pushes Luna-Glob / Luna-25 Mission To Test Landing Techniques From 2016 To 2019, Luna-Glob 2 / Lunar-26 Orbiter Mission Now Expected 2021, Luna-Resurs / Luna-27 Lander Mission With Drilling System & Scientific Payloads Pushed Back To 2023; Russia Also Working On ~US$2.8B-Project To Put Humans On Moon By 2031
Image Credit: Russiaspaceweb.com, RIA Novosti
Roscosmos Deputy Chief Denis Lyskov Says Government Will Not Be Involved In Plan To Send 2 Space Tourists On Circumlunar Trip Aboard Modified Soyuz; Space Agency Leaders Disappointed They Were Not Consulted About Project, Have No Plans To Modernize Soyuz; Mission Plan Developed By US-Based Space Adventures & Russia Spacecraft Manufacturer Energia Rocket & Space Corporation; Government Plan To Obtain 51% Stake In Energia & Need For Government Approval May Put Mission In Doubt
Image Credit: CSI, Roscosmos, Space Adventures, Energia