On 18 August 2021, the VDNH Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre will be offering a free themed tour titled Planets of the Solar System in honour of the 45th anniversary of the moon landing of Luna-24, the last Soviet lunar research craft to land on the moon.
Tours will be offered to visitors at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on 18 August. The tour will clarify how the Luna-24 mission was different from its predecessors, apart from being the Soviet Union's last research voyage to the moon. Visitors will also learn more about the history of exploration of our nearest neighbour planets.
The number of people per tour is limited to 20; the age restriction is 12+. Prior registration is required.
The Luna-24 craft was launched on 9 August 1976 from the Baikonur launch site, using a Proton-K carrier vehicle. The craft's weight came close to six tonnes. On 18 August of the same year, it performed a soft touch-down in the south-eastern part of Mare Crisium. The craft's ascent vehicle launched from the moon surface on 19 August, carrying lunar soil samples. Three days later, on 22 August, the reentry vehicle landed on Earth.
This year, for the first time in 45 years, Russia may resume similar space missions. Scheduled on 1 October is the launch of the Luna-25, the lunar landing craft designed to test soft touch-down technology in a near-polar region and study the moon's South Pole.
Members of the Friends of VDNH loyalty programme enjoy a discount on tickets for the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre. For a full and regularly updated list of programme partner venues, see the programme page on the VDNH website. Admission to the Cosmonautics and Aviation Centre is free during the Happy Hours (11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Tuesday through Friday). The number of free tickets is limited.
All VDNH events comply with the anti-coronavirus regulations currently in force. Visitors to VDNH museums and exhibition spaces are expected to wear face masks and gloves, and observe social distancing. More information on the anti-coronavirus measures at VDNH can be found here.