Russia has postponed the launch of its three planned moon missions, according to Interfax news agency, creating a setback for its lunar exploration plans. This comes at a time when its long-time rival, the United States, is celebrating a major achievement with a historic flight around the moon.
The missions named Luna-28, Luna-29, and Luna-30 have now been delayed and are expected to launch between 2032 and 2036. This information was shared by Sergei Chernyshev, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences. However, it was not mentioned when these missions were originally planned to launch.
These delays come after earlier postponements of other Russian space missions and the failure of the Luna-25 spacecraft, which crashed into the moon in 2023.
Russia considers lunar exploration important for its national interests. After the failed 2023 mission, the head of its space agency Roscosmos said that the race to explore and use the moon’s natural resources is ongoing.
Although the Soviet Union achieved major milestones in space during the 1960s, such as launching the first satellite and sending the first human into space, Russia’s space program has weakened over time and is now behind the United States and China.
Meanwhile, NASA’s Artemis II mission has made history, as four astronauts recently flew around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years and traveled farther into space than any humans before them.
