Russia will launch its first lunar-landing spacecraft in 47 years on August 11 in a race with India to the south pole of the moon, a potential source of water to support a future human presence there. The launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, 5,550 kilometers east of Moscow, will take place four weeks after India sent up its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander, due to touch down at the pole on August 23. Rough terrain makes a landing there difficult, but the south pole is a prized destination because scientists believe it may hold significant quantities of ice. To read the original story by Reuters, click here.
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