Successful Testing of Luna-27 Landers Model Completed by Roscosmos

«Roscosmos» has reported that the S.A. Lavochkin Scientific Production Association has completed the testing of the landing module model for the «Luna-27» mission.

«These tests have successfully concluded a series of evaluations, confirming the functionality of the landing device. The equipment was also tested under simulated lunar gravity and contact with soil analogs. This is a crucial phase in the preparations for the upcoming lunar expedition, with specialists practicing soft landing modes in conditions closely resembling the real environment,» explained Roscosmos.

In February 2024, Roscosmos stated that the launch dates for the «Luna-26» and «Luna-27» missions would be clarified after the relevant technical projects are released. The agency is considering a proposal from the Russian Academy of Sciences to develop two lunar spacecraft («Luna-27a» and «Luna-27b») to enhance reliability.

Experts from the GeoChemistry Lab of the Moon and Planets of the Russian Academy of Sciences presented the findings of their research aimed at selecting optimal landing sites for the «Luna-27» spacecraft in the vicinity of the Moon’s South Pole. They proposed five sites measuring 30×15 km, along with 10 additional sites with smaller radii.

The researchers reminded that the primary scientific objective of the «Luna-27» mission is to study the chemical composition and volatile materials, including water, within lunar rock. This investigation is vital for future lunar missions and the potential establishment of a Russian base on the Moon. The «Luna-27» mission is scheduled for 2028.

On August 31, 2023, NASA published a photograph of a small new crater on the Moon, which likely formed after the descent of the Russian «Luna-25» probe. The image was captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

On August 20, 2023, Roscosmos announced the loss of the interplanetary automatic station «Luna-25.» According to the agency, on August 19, the spacecraft entered an uncontrolled orbit and ceased to exist following a collision with the lunar surface.

In October 2023, Roscosmos released preliminary findings regarding the malfunctioning of the «Luna-25» station. It was determined that the most probable cause of the accident was an issue with the onboard control system, linked to the failure to activate the accelerometer block within the BIUS-L device (angular velocity measurement block), which may have resulted from conflicting commands being sent to the system simultaneously.

NASA specialists clarified that the new crater is approximately 10 meters in diameter and is located at 57.865 degrees south latitude and 61.360 degrees east longitude, at an elevation of about minus 360 meters. The impact point is situated on a steep (over 20 degrees slope) inner edge of the Pontecoulant G crater, about 400 kilometers from the intended landing site of «Luna-25.»