• Destination Moon: Russia to Launch New Wave of Lunar Robots
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[QUOTE]Russia is developing a renewed robotic moon exploration program, building upon the history-making legacy of orbiters, landers, rovers and sample-return missions the country launched decades ago. Russia's rekindling of an aggressive moon exploration plan was unveiled by Igor Mitrofanov of the Institute for Space Research (IKI) in Moscow during Microsymposium 54 on "Lunar Farside and Poles — New Destinations for Exploration," held in The Woodlands, Texas, on March 16 and 17. The microsymposium was co-sponsored by Brown University, Russia's Vernadsky Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the NASA Lunar Science Institute. Notable lunar firsts Russia launched its last moon mission in August 1976, when it was still the Soviet Union. That mission, called Luna 24, was the last in the Luna series and featured a spacecraft that landed on the moon and returned samples of the Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis) region. [10 Surprising Moon Facts] The former Soviet Union's robotic lunar program achieved a number of notable "firsts" on Earth's satellite, including the first spacecraft to impact the moon; first flyby and photograph of the lunar farside; first soft landing on the lunar surface; first lunar orbiter; first circumlunar probe to return to Earth; first automatic return of lunar samples; and, of course, the first moon rover Lunokhod. Today, Russian space scientists are scripting a new plan to reconnect with the moon. "Exploration of the moon is an important part of the program," Mitrofanov said. 'I just want to emphasize that Russia is a spacefaring country not only with the robotic but also manned flight." Mitrofanov said that the lunar pole is a most favorable place for future outposts for humans in deep space and emphasized that moon exploration was a step toward future Mars journeys. At the microsymposium, Mitrofanov discussed Russia's moon mission schedule over the next several years. "Depending on the success of these [first] three missions, another two will be implemented," he said. Those five potential moon missions would launch in the following order: 2015 — Luna 25 (Luna Glob Lander):A small lander on the moon's south pole that would analyze lunar regolith and local exosphere and test volatiles from less than 2 feet (50 centimeters) subsurface. This spacecraft would showcase lunar landing system technology, communication systems and longtime operations. 2016 — Luna 26 (Luna Glob Orbiter): An orbiter for the moon in a 60-mile-high (100 kilometers) polar circular orbit. It would globally map the lunar surface, measure the exosphere and plasma around the moon and carry out reconnaissance of landing sites for lunar exploration, exhibiting longtime orbital operations and global mapping. 2017 — Luna 27 (Luna Resource-1): A large lander sent to the moon's south pole to study lunar regolith and local exosphere; it would also test for volatiles in the lunar subsurface. This lander would also test a drilling system for cryogenic sampling of the moon. 2019 — Luna 28 (Luna-Resource-2): A "to be determined (TBD)" mission f that is a polar moon sample return involving cryogenic delivery of lunar samples back to Earth. This mission would help develop return flight system technology for transiting between the moon and Earth. 2020 — Luna 29 (Luna-Resource-3): Another TBD mission. This spacecraft would carry a Lunokhod — a large, long-distance moon rover. Once on the prowl, the wheeled device would study the lunar surface at a distance of about 20 miles (30 km) and conduct cryogenic cashing of the lunar subsurface. Astronomical window Mitrofanov said that Russia's robotic moon planners "have taken into account" the disaster with its Phobos-Grunt Mars mission in 2011-2012 — a failure due to reported poor management, technical glitches and a hurry to launch schedule. But the moon is much closer to the Earth than Mars, offering more flexibility in launching lunar probes. "In this case, we have no astronomical window for the moon," Mitrofanov said. U.S. scientists said that it is important to keep in mind that Russia is no newcomer to moon exploration. The former Soviet Union, of course, was the chief competitor to the U.S. and NASA during the Space Race to put human explorers on the moon in the 1960s and 1970s. During that time, Soviet scientists were prolific developing moon-bound robotic probes.[/QUOTE] [URL="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/02/russia-announces-agressive-moon-robots_n_2996865.html"]SourceA[/URL] [URL="http://www.space.com/20461-russia-moon-robots-missions.html?cmpid=514648"]SourceB[/URL]
fuck yeah
At least someone's taking up the moon.
Good, hopefully they'll get back into the swing of things and start exploring again.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/w5Zbs1N.png[/img]
[img_thumb]https://github.com/mendhak/android-ragefaces/diff_blob/30ca93a419c91a235b8538cd2f9fa4fb4bc26e65/faces/neutral_its_something.png?raw=true[/img_thumb] But really, it's great that somebody other than NASA is doing these kinds of things. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Image macro" - Orkel))[/highlight]
I hope either private enterpreneurs or Russia set up a moon base - The ultimate goal would be to create a huge fuel depot and even one day a production facility. You could assemble spacecraft on the moon, fuel them up, and launch them for a fraction of the fuel cost.
Yeah it's cool, Russia will continue to dominate the galaxy with its shit spacecrafts meanwhile nasa sits there and picks its nose.
[QUOTE=Jericho_Rus;40196144]Yeah it's cool, Russia will continue to dominate the galaxy with its shit spacecrafts meanwhile nasa sits there and picks its nose.[/QUOTE] What makes Russian spacecraft shit? They were the first to send a manned mission into space, they've pioneered a lot of the technology NASA uses today.
[QUOTE=Harnbrand;40196248]What makes Russian spacecraft shit? They were the first to send a manned mission into space, they've pioneered a lot of the technology NASA uses today.[/QUOTE] Those were Soviet spacecraft, not Russian
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;40196260]Those were Soviet spacecraft, not Russian[/QUOTE] Russia still was the core of the USSR.
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;40196260]Those were Soviet spacecraft, not Russian[/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.P._Korolev_Rocket_and_Space_Corporation_Energia[/url] A design bureau in the RFSR, and now a corporation in the RF.
[QUOTE=laserguided;40196394][url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.P._Korolev_Rocket_and_Space_Corporation_Energia[/url] A design bureau in the RFSR, and now a corporation in the RF.[/QUOTE] This doesn't matter. The quality of modern Russian spacecraft is far lower than the ones built in the Soviet Union
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;40196647]This doesn't matter. The quality of modern Russian spacecraft is far lower than the ones built in the Soviet Union[/QUOTE] Do you have proof?
Maybe this'll kick the US's space program into gear again. Only reason why we have one was so we could beat those wacky commies in space :v: [editline]7th April 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=archangel125;40196004]I hope either private enterpreneurs or Russia set up a moon base - The ultimate goal would be to create a huge fuel depot and even one day a production facility. You could assemble spacecraft on the moon, fuel them up, and launch them for a fraction of the fuel cost.[/QUOTE] This would be boss as fuck. First a fuel depot, then a research facility, and so on. Wonder what it'd be like to fire off a bigass rocket on the moon.
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;40196647]This doesn't matter. The quality of modern Russian spacecraft is far lower than the ones built in the Soviet Union[/QUOTE] Maybe they should've kept Sokolov alive.
[QUOTE=Laserbeams;40196647]This doesn't matter. The quality of modern Russian spacecraft is far lower than the ones built in the Soviet Union[/QUOTE] the USSR never went to space. (moon) Russia goes there all the time (ISS)
I hope they eventually get into the resource gathering business so that NASA and the rest of the world has an incentive for furthering our space programs.
[QUOTE=Harnbrand;40196248]What makes Russian spacecraft shit? They were the first to send a manned mission into space, they've pioneered a lot of the technology NASA uses today.[/QUOTE] The Soviets rushed all their missions to beat the us resulting in a bunch of dead astronauts, very unsafe conditions, and rockets like the N1 blowing up a lot. They are a lot better today because there's no rush
To be fair, space travel is inherently unsafe and plenty of astronauts have died in our slower paced space programs.
China is launching their rover and lander this year actually. If they succeed, this will be the first time they'll ever land something on a foreign body. And the first time anything has touched the moon since 76. I'm glad Russia is looking at the moon again. Cool as shit, and doesn't take as much time as something travelling to Mars.
Robot on the moon... How did it get there?...
[QUOTE=Chrisordie;40199285]Robot on the moon... How did it get there?...[/QUOTE] Wrong turn near Berlin
[QUOTE=laserguided;40196724]Do you have proof?[/QUOTE] [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fobos-Grunt[/url]
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/42/Tintin_cover_-_Destination_Moon.jpg/250px-Tintin_cover_-_Destination_Moon.jpg[/img] Good to see progress in space exploration, though.
I'd like to see them try. All the money for the project is just gonna get stolen. It always does here.
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