Russia has launched its first mission to the surface of the Moon in almost half a century, in a bid to become the first country to land at the lunar south pole.
The Luna 25 mission to Moscow is off schedule from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East.
The south pole of the Moon is believed to contain water deposits.
Russia’s mission is racing against India, which sent its own lander last month to orbit the Moon.
Russia’s space chief told Interfax that the lander is expected to land on August 21. Earlier this week, India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was due to arrive on August 23.
