Luna-Glob

Luna-Glob
Name	Luna-Glob
Mission type	Lunar lander, seismometer deployment
Operator	Roscosmos
Mission duration	Planned: 1 year (lander)
Manufacturer	NPO Lavochkin
Launch mass	~1,750 kg (total)
Landing mass	~1,200 kg (lander)
Launch date	Planned: Post-2028
Launch rocket	Soyuz-2 / Fregat
Launch site	Vostochny Cosmodrome
Apsis	selene

Luna-Glob. It is a Russian lunar exploration program developed by the Roscosmos State Corporation and constructed by the spacecraft manufacturer NPO Lavochkin. Forming a key part of Russia's renewed lunar exploration strategy, the mission is designed to deliver a lander to the Moon's south polar region to conduct in-situ scientific research. The project has undergone significant evolution and delays since its initial conception, with its launch now anticipated in the late 2020s as a precursor to more ambitious crewed missions.

Overview

The Luna-Glob program originated from plans developed in the late 2000s by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Roscosmos to resume Russia's lunar exploration, which had been dormant since the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission in 1976. Initially envisioned as a network of landers, the project was later reconfigured into a series of distinct missions under the broader Luna programme umbrella. The program represents a technological successor to Soviet-era designs but incorporates modern instruments and targets scientifically compelling regions like the lunar south pole, an area of high interest for global space agencies including NASA and the European Space Agency. Its development has been influenced by international collaboration proposals and the shifting priorities of the Russian space industry.

Mission objectives

The primary objective is to achieve a soft landing in the rugged south polar region of the Moon, a technically challenging feat never before accomplished by a Russian spacecraft. Key scientific goals include studying the composition of the lunar regolith, particularly for signs of water ice within permanently shadowed craters, and investigating the lunar exosphere. The mission also aims to deploy a long-term, sensitive seismometer to monitor moonquake activity, providing new data on the Moon's internal structure and seismic environment. Furthermore, it will test critical landing technologies, communication systems, and surface operations essential for future robotic missions and a potential Russian crewed lunar landing.

Spacecraft design

The Luna-Glob lander is based on a modernized platform developed by NPO Lavochkin, featuring a four-legged landing gear system for stability on uneven terrain. It is designed to operate through the harsh lunar night, utilizing radioisotope heater units for thermal control. The spacecraft includes a robust propulsion system for descent and landing maneuvers, along with high-gain antennas for direct communication with ground stations on Earth, such as those in the Bear Lakes complex. The mission will be launched aboard a Soyuz-2 rocket with a Fregat upper stage from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, with the lander carrying a suite of scientific instruments and a complement of penetrators for subsurface studies.

Launch and mission timeline

Originally planned for launch around 2012, the mission has been repeatedly delayed due to funding issues, technical challenges, and the need to re-prioritize following the failure of the Fobos-Grunt mission. The schedule was further revised after Russia's collaboration on the European Space Agency's Luna 27 mission, which shares design heritage. The current official plan, as stated by Roscosmos executives like Dmitry Rogozin and later Yuri Borisov, targets a launch after 2028. The flight profile involves a direct transfer trajectory to the Moon, followed by orbital insertion, descent, and a surface operations phase intended to last at least one Earth year.

Scientific instruments and experiments

The lander's payload includes several advanced instruments developed by Russian institutes like the Space Research Institute and with potential international contributions. Key instruments are a robotic arm and sampling drill for regolith analysis, a neutron spectrometer to detect hydrogen signatures indicative of water, and a laser retroreflector for precise orbital measurements. The deployed seismometer, a primary payload, is designed to be highly sensitive to detect tiny tremors. Additional packages may include an ion spectrometer to study the exosphere, a dust monitor, and a set of small penetrators that would be ejected to impact at a distance, measuring subsurface properties.

Results and findings

As the mission has not yet launched, no direct scientific results are available. However, once operational, it is expected to provide groundbreaking data on the seismic activity and internal structure of the Moon, complementing findings from earlier missions like Apollo and Chang'e 4. The analysis of polar regolith could definitively confirm the presence and form of water ice, with significant implications for in-situ resource utilization for future explorers. The mission's success would also demonstrate Russia's regained capability for soft lunar landing, paving the way for the subsequent Luna 28 sample-return mission and influencing the planning of international lunar exploration efforts at locations like Shackleton Crater.

Category:Roscosmos Category:Lunar spacecraft Category:Future space missions