The Luna-27 spacecraft will study the soil at the south pole of the Earth's natural satellite
MOSCOW, June 28. /tass/. The Luna-26 and Luna-27 spacecraft, which are expected to launch in the coming years, will have 13 and 10 instruments on board, respectively. The first one will deal with the meteorite hazard between the Moon and the Earth, and the second one will explore the soil at the south pole of the Moon, Yevgeny Slyuta, head of the Laboratory of Geochemistry of the Moon and Planets at the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told TASS.
"There will be two missions in the Russian lunar program in the coming years. The launch of the next Luna-26 spacecraft is planned in 2027. This is an orbital mission, the main purpose of which is to photograph the lunar surface with a stereo camera with a resolution of 3-6 m, to study the surface of the Moon using radio waves, infrared, neutron and gamma radiation. The second important task is to ensure communication with the next Luna-27 lander," Slyuta said.
According to him, 13 different scientific instruments will be installed on Luna-26, including, for example, a radar complex for studying the internal structure of the lunar soil. At the same time, the meteor sensor will study the micrometeorite hazard on the Earth-Moon highway and the distribution of cosmic dust around the Moon. The scientific data obtained will also be used in the preparation of the next landing mission "Luna-27", which is expected in 2028.
"The main purpose of the mission is to study the composition and content of volatile components and water ice in the lunar soil in the Southern Polar region of the Moon. More than ten different scientific instruments will also be installed on board Luna-27, including a chromato-graphic complex for direct study of the composition of volatile components and water in lunar soil samples, which will be delivered to the device by a manipulator," the scientist said.
Other instruments will study the hydrogen content in the lunar soil, its chemical and mineral composition, the concentration of lunar dust above the surface, the composition of rarefied gases above the surface, the interaction of solar plasma with the lunar soil, and the like. One of the devices will study the physico-mechanical, thermophysical and electromagnetic properties of the soil to a depth of 1-2 m. Panoramic and stereo photography of the surface around the lander will also be conducted.
"As for the plans of the Russian scientific lunar program beyond 2028, there are no approved projects yet. Various proposals are currently being considered, including those with lunar rovers. Which of them will be adopted and approved, we will all find out in the next two to three years," the scientist concluded.
About the Chang'e-6 mission
China launched the Chang'e-6 automatic space station in early May to collect soil samples from the far side of the Moon for the first time in history. The Apollo crater, located in the South Pole-Aitken basin, was chosen as the landing site on the far side of the Moon. In early June, Chang'e-6 launched from the far side of the Moon with soil samples. On June 26, these samples were successfully delivered to Earth after the probe landed on the territory of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in the north of China.
