OREANDA-NEWS. The world’s leading space nations Russia, USA, China, India and Japan have given top priority in their space research to the Moon. These plans have been approved by their governments.

First probes will be launched to the Moon in 2007 and 2008. 

Russia is actively pursuing its Moon projects. The Lavochkin research center has drawn up a program to explore the Moon using automatic probes, The Rossijskaya gazeta reports. 

The program envisages sending automatic probes to the Moon at the following exploration stages:

1) exploring Moon’s internal structure and surveying for mineral deposits (water included) with the help of satellites orbiting around the Moon;

2) landing on the Moon to collect samples using remote-control vehicles;

3) delivering the samples to Earth;

4) creation of a testing field on the Moon to test lunar soil processing, delivering the obtained samples and materials back to the Earth, and carrying out a wide range of research and technical projects.

The program is planned to be implemented in 2009-2015. In the course of the program two space expeditions will travel to the Moon, one orbital and the other landing, with the latter to be implemented via an international project.