Russian Approach to Future Exploration of the Moon
- Paper number
IAC-09.A3.2B.2
- Author
Prof. Gennady Raykunov, Central Research Institute of Machine Building (FSUE/TSNIIMASH), Russia
- Coauthor
Dr. Georgy M. Polishchuk, Lavochkin Association, Russia
- Year
2009
- Abstract
Philosophy of the Russian prospective plans on exploration of the Moon has been presented in the report. Current status of works in frames of the projects “Luna-Glob” and “Luna-Resource” have been reviewed. These projects are included in the Russian Federal Space Programme on 2006-2015. The first stage of the “Luna-Resource” Project, envisaged mission with lunar rover, is planned to carry out in cooperation with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Main cornerstones of activities subsequent development on the Moon have been considered: automatic delivery of lunar soil samples to the Earth, and proposed project of the automatic lunar base (“lunar polygon/test-bed”). This project should lay the foundation for long-term lunar base, which subsequently will evolve through all stages: “automatic lunar polygon/test-bed – man-tended automatic lunar base – lunar base with periodic crew excursion missions – lunar base with uninterrupted presence of crew”. Self-sufficient significance of each stages, cited above, for science and astronautics have been demonstrated. The report contains results of preliminary analysis on the long-term lunar base two initial stages, and defines directions of works, in which international cooperation could participated.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)