Russia plans unmanned moon mission in 2015

An unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2015 from a new launch pad in the country’s Far East will be sent, the Russian Space Agency has said.

Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin told Russian news agencies on Tuesday that the rocket booster would deliver a 500 kg (1,100-pound) space exploration vehicle with up to 25 kg (55 pounds) of scientific equipment that would search for water and take soil samples.

Mr. Popovkin said the moon-bound spacecraft would be launched from Russia’s new Vostochny cosmodrome. President Vladimir Putin has vowed to invest $1 billion in building this launch pad in the Amur Region not far from the Chinese border.

Russia’s last and only moon mission was accomplished in 1973.