Russia's Luna-25 Mission: A Race to the Moon's South Pole

Russia has launched its first moon mission since 1976, aiming to make a soft landing on the moon's south pole. The uncrewed spacecraft, Luna-25, will spend several days orbiting before attempting the landing on August 21. This puts Russia in a race against India, which launched a similar mission last month. The move allows Russia to join the US and China in advanced lunar exploration, despite facing international economic sanctions. The goal is seen as political competition between superpowers, with the study of the moon serving as a means to claim the title of space superpower.