Russia takes on Nasa with RETURN to the Moon in 2021 after 45-year absence Charlotte Edwards, Digital Technology and Science Reporter Apr 19 2021, 12:27 ET RUSSIA is planning a return to the Moon this year after not landing a spacecraft there for 45 years. A mission called Luna 25 is set to launch in October 2021 and head to the icy south pole on the lunar surface. 3 The Russian mission aims to study Moon ice. Lev Zelenyi, scientific advisor for the Russian Space Research Institute, said during a presentation last month: "The Moon is the centre of our program for the next decade." Zelenyi was speaking at a virtual event hosted by the National Academy of Sciences.