Roscosmos announces the start of manned mission to the Moon to find out if Neil was there

Russian Space Agency Roscosmos announced a tender for research work to study issues related to the program of manned flights to the Moon.

The materials of the tender of the state corporation were published on the public procurement website. Based on the results of the work, one will need to develop requirements for space technology for such missions.

The total value of the contract is evaluated at 1.7 billion rubles.

"The objectives of the research work: development of proposals, recommendations, requirements for prospective technology, elements and systems of products of rocket and space engineering that ensure the reliable implementation of manned flights to the Moon, the work of cosmonauts in the circumlunar orbit and on the surface of the Moon, taking into account the need to address medical and biological problems," the announcement says.

Roscosmos also indicated in its official documents for the first time that Russia would use the Angara rocket and a small transport spaceship for manned flights to the Moon.

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the state corporation, wrote on Facebook in December 2020 that the Angara space rocket would be used at the first stage of the lunar program. According to him, the super-heavy space rocket will be created on the basis of new technological solutions. Rogozin also indicated that the timing of its creation would be postponed compared to the previous project.

The tender also includes the development of a small lunar take-off and landing vehicle that would land cosmonauts to the surface of the Moon.

In addition, the contract provides for the development of:

• a new spacesuit for working on the Moon and the creation of its experimental model,
• means for the protection of cosmonauts' health,
• the construction of a lunar rover,
• a "lunomobile",
• a habitable and power modules of the lunar base,
• a spaceship for delivering cargo to the Moon.

Many of these issues were included in the draft of the Federal Space Program for 2016-2025 before it was sequestered in 2015-2016.

Further, the document provides for the development of a super-heavy rocket, a manned transport spaceship and a lunar take-off and landing ship.

In general, the entire program needs to be prepared by the middle of November 2025.