Russia is to launch its first mission to the moon in almost 50 years

By EMMA BURROWS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Russia is scheduled to launch its first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years on Friday, pitting it in a space race with India which is also aiming to land a lunar craft this month. The launch of the Luna-25 craft to the moon will be Russia’s first since 1976 when it was part of the Soviet Union. It will be conducted without assistance from the European Space Agency, which ended cooperation with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. The Russian lunar lander is expected to reach the moon on Aug. 23, about the same day as an Indian craft which was launched on July 14. Both countries’ modules are headed for the lunar south pole, an area where no spacecraft has landed smoothly.