Russia Announces 'Aggressive' Plan For Fleet Of Robots To Explore The Moon

[marcus300]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013...ncid=webmail11





Russia has announced it will launch a fleet of space robots to explore the Moon.

Nasa's former space-race competitor (when it was still the Soviet Union) - and current close partner and contractor - unveiled its new "aggressive" exploration program at a symposium in Texas.

In a presentation titled "Lunar Farside and Poles — New Destinations for Exploration" Igor Mitrofanov of the Institute for Space Research said that robots would precede human exploration of the Moon's surface.

Russia last landed a spacecraft on the Moon in 1976. The Luna 24 craft was unmanned but returned samples of Moon rocks to Earth.

The new plan will focus on the Lunar poles. The first will launch in 2015 and land on the moon's south pole, to test its landing technology and communication systems, while analysing the local conditions and testing "volatile" systems.

The subsequent missions would include:
•Luna 26 (2016) - to orbit the Moon at 100 km, map its surface, measure the exosphere and look for new landing sites

•Luna 27 (2017) - a large lander to the south pole to study rocks and test drilling systems




•Luna 19 (2020) - to carry a long-distance lunar rover to explore the lunar surface


Mitrofanov said that manned missions could follow.

Nasa has welcomed the new plan and reminded the audience at the symposium that Russia is no stranger to Lunar exploration, having been resposible for the first spacecraft to hit the moon, photograph its "dark" side and return rock samples, among many other firsts.

Nasa also has a plan to return to the Moon, though its current focus is the development of a next-generation rocket and launcher that will mean it can send astronauts to the International Space Station on its own. Currently Nasa has to rely on Russia's Soyuz technology for manned ISS missions, and private companies including Space-X for resupply missions.

[lovbyts]

I want to go just to do maintenance on the robots.

[Flagg]

Vladimir Putin must have the smallest cock in politics.

[Atomini]

Vladimir Putin must have the smallest cock in politics.

Hasn't that been known for quite some time now?

[Flagg]

Hasn't that been known for quite some time now?

Lol, yeah and I dont mean to leave such a pissy comment in Marcus' thread.

The subject itself is interesting for what the results could lead to, but Putin is doing it for all the wrong reasons. He seems to still think America and the West still give a shit what Russia is doing these days. It's like the time he planted a russian flag under the north pole. I mean he does this stuff to just piss off everyone.

[Atomini]

Lol, yeah and I dont mean to leave such a pissy comment in Marcus' thread.

The subject itself is interesting for what the results could lead to, but Putin is doing it for all the wrong reasons. He seems to still think America and the West still give a shit what Russia is doing these days. It's like the time he planted a russian flag under the north pole. I mean he does this stuff to just piss off everyone.

I am actually very surprised he is even still making headlines or even around at all. It's almost like he should be washed up by now.