Russia just launched its first mission to the moon in close to 50 years, firing up a new mini space race this August amid broad and growing international competition. The Soviet Union, which collapsed in 1991, was the first nation to land a robotic spacecraft on the moon and it sent many afterward. But the launch Friday from Kazakhstan is the first lunar mission for Russia in the post-Soviet era. The mission makes a bold geopolitical statement: Though it was originally intended as a partnership, the Europe Space Agency backed out following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has pushed ahead with a go-it-alone approach. The latest contest is between Russia and India, though it's possible even likely neither nation will win the title, given the difficulty of the challenge: first to land at the shadowy lunar south pole. SEE ALSO: NASA is back in the moon business. Here's what that means. Each will try to put a crewless spacecraft on this
Russia s Return to the Moon With Luna-25: High Risk, High Stakes
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Scientists have found a hot spot on the moon s far side
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