Russia launches first lunar station in nearly 50 years

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia successfully launched the Luna-25 lunar station early Friday, embarking on a historic mission to explore the south pole of the Moon.

The station, which does not have a return capsule, was launched by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket with a Fregat upper stage from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Oblast of Russia's Far East.

Nine minutes after the lift-off, the Fregat upper stage with the Luna-25 station separated from the third stage of the rocket. About one hour later, Luna-25 separated from the Fregat upper stage and successfully entered the flight path to the Moon, marking the successful completion of the first stage of its mission.