Russia to launch lunar Rovers after 2020

Russia plans to send two lunar rovers to Moon after 2020 and a landing station after 2022 as the first steps to form the future manned lunar base there, the country's Academy of Sciences said in its report on Saturday. Under the document, obtained by RIA Novosti, core aims of the Russian scientists are to study polar regions of Moon and gas-dust exosphere of the satellite, make a soil samples and find the most comfortable areas for lunar base deployment. The first phase stipulates Moon exploration by Luna-Resurs and Luna-Glob probes from 2015, while at the second stage Lunokhod-3 and Lunokhod-4 lunar rovers will work on the satellite in 2020-2022. The landing station will be sent to Moon in 2023. "The lunar rovers and the landing station will form first elements of space infrastructure for a lunar testing area with prospects of deployment of Russia's lunar base in this area," the report said.