Russia launches first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years

In this photo taken from video and released by Roscosmos State Space Corporation, the Soyuz-2.1b rocket, with the moon lander Luna-25, takes off from a launch pad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russia's Far East, on August 11, 2023 [Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP]

Russia has launched its first mission to the moon in nearly 50 years, pitting it in a space race with India, which is also aiming to land a lunar craft this month.

The launch of the Luna-25 craft to the moon on Friday was Russia’s first since 1976 when it was part of the Soviet Union and was conducted without assistance from the European Space Agency, which ended cooperation with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.