Russia launches first space mission to Moon in 47 years

Russia launched its archetypal ngo to the aboveground of the Moon successful astir fractional a century, successful a bid to beryllium the archetypal state to onshore connected the lunar southbound pole.

Moscow's Luna 25 ngo lifted disconnected connected docket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome successful the Russian Far East.

The Moon's southbound rod is believed to clasp deposits of water.

The Russian ngo is racing against India, which sent up its ain lander past period that is already orbiting the Moon.

Russia's abstraction main told Interfax the lander is expected to interaction down connected 21 August. As of earlier this week, India's Chandrayaan-3's spacecraft was owed to scope the aboveground connected 23 August.