Launch details
Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M | Luna 26
Launch details
Soyuz 2.1b/Fregat-M | Luna 26
ROSCOSMOS
Government • RUS
Cosmodrome Site 1S
Vostochny Cosmodrome
Dec 31 at 09:00am
Launchpad time•+0900
Dec 31 at 12:00am
Your local time•+0000
Soyuz 2.1b Fregat-M
Launch vehicle
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24 hours before launch
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1 hour before launch
Note: For all launches the scheduled launch dates and times are subject to change due to weather, equipment, crew and other factors.
Mission description
Luna 26 (also named Luna-Resurs) is a planned lunar polar orbiter, part of the Luna-Glob program, by the Russian space agency Roscosmos. In addition to its scientific role, the Luna 26 orbiter would also function as a telecommunication relay between Earth and Russian landed assets.
The scientific payload on board the orbiter is composed of fourteen instruments that will be fabricated by Russia. The payload will study the lunar surface and the environment around the Moon, including the solar wind, and high-energy cosmic rays. Luna 26 will also scout sites for the planned Luna 27 landing mission.
Luna 26 is the second mission of Russia's new lunar program, which includes the launch of Luna 27, a heavy lander that will study the composition of the lunar soil by collecting several samples. Luna 28, a lunar samples return mission, will be the first to return samples at lunar temperature, and will serve as a demonstration for a future Martian samples return mission. Finally, Luna 29 should land a heavy lunar rover on the surface.
— Luna 26
Livestream
Attending a launch in person
Paid guided tours are how foreigners access Russian cosmodromes, for example Russia Discovery or Star City Tours, at a cost of around 3000 USD. The most valuable service they'll provide is organizing your permits with the Russian or Kazakh authorities.
If you only plan on seeing one, Vostochny is the most modern and likely the heart of Russian spaceflight moving forward, while Baikonur is steeped in history as the launch place of the first human in space (Yuri Gagarin) and the first woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova).
How to get there
The closest commercial airport is Ignatyevo Airport in Blagoveshchensk. Tsiolkovsky Airport is much closer to the Cosmodrome but flights are restricted.
From Blagoveshchensk a 4-hour train or bus ride will get you to Tsiolkovsky, a town that serves the spaceport.
Accomodation
Nearby hotels in Tsiolkovsky.
Agency details
Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) oversees Russia's space activities, including human spaceflight, satellite launches, and interplanetary missions. Notable for its Soyuz spacecraft and Progress resupply missions to the ISS, ROSCOSMOS plays a crucial role in international space collaboration.