Finance
Russia Delays Lunar Missions as US Marks Historic Flight
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 7, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 7, 2026
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Quick Summary
Russia’s Luna‑28, Luna‑29 and Luna‑30 lunar missions have been postponed to the 2032–2036 period, marking another delay following the 2023 Luna‑25 crash. The move coincides with the U.S. celebrating a historic Artemis II crewed lunar flyby, setting a human distance record from Earth.
Russia Delays Lunar Missions to 2032–2036 Amid US Moon Flight Milestone
Setbacks and Developments in Russian and US Lunar Exploration
Russian Lunar Mission Delays
MOSCOW, April 7 (Reuters) - Russia has pushed back the launch of three moon missions, the Interfax news agency said on Tuesday, a setback to its ambitious lunar exploration programme as longtime space rival, the United States, celebrated an historic flight around the moon.
The launches of Russian spacecraft Luna-28, Luna-29, and Luna-30 have been postponed to 2032–2036, Interfax quoted Russian Academy of Sciences Vice President Sergei Chernyshev as saying.
Background and Previous Postponements
It did not say when they had originally been slated to lift off, but the unexplained delays follow postponements last year to other Russian lunar and space missions and the crash of its unmanned Luna-25 craft into the surface of the moon in 2023.
Strategic Importance of Lunar Exploration for Russia
Russia sees lunar exploration as vital to its national interests, the head of Russia's space agency Roskosmos said after the failed 2023 mission, saying the race was on to develop the moon's natural resources.
Comparative Progress: Russia, US, and China
The Soviet Union launched the world's first satellite and sent the first human into space in the 1960s, but Russia's once mighty space programme has declined in the post-Soviet era, falling behind the U.S. and, increasingly, China.
US Achievements: Artemis II Mission
This week, four astronauts from NASA's Artemis II mission were the first to fly around the moon in over 50 years, travelling further into space than any humans before them.
(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Alessandra PrenticeEditing by Ros Russell)
Key Takeaways
- •Russia’s upcoming Luna‑28, Luna‑29 and Luna‑30 missions have been delayed to 2032–2036, posing setbacks for its lunar ambitions (interfax.com)
- •The delays follow last year’s Luna‑25 lander crash on the moon’s surface in August 2023 – Russia’s first lunar attempt since the Soviet era (apnews.com)
- •Meanwhile, the U.S. is celebrating Artemis II, the first human mission around the moon since 1972, which has broken the human distance-from‑Earth record (space.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about Russia delays lunar missions as US marks historic flight
1Which Russian lunar missions have been delayed?
The launches of Luna-28, Luna-29, and Luna-30 have been postponed to 2032–2036.
2Why did Russia delay its lunar missions?
The specific reasons for the delays were not stated, but they follow postponements last year and the Luna-25 crash.
3What historic event did the US achieve this week?
NASA's Artemis II crew became the first humans to fly around the moon in over 50 years.
4How does lunar exploration impact Russia's national interests?
Russia considers lunar exploration vital for developing the moon's natural resources and maintaining its presence in space.
5When did the Soviet Union achieve its space milestones?
The Soviet Union launched the world’s first satellite and sent the first human into space in the 1960s.
