The press office of Russia’s national space agency, Roscosmos, told TASS (Russian News Agency) on Tuesday that Russia plans to explore the Moon using robots that incorporate artificial intelligence elements. A Roscosmos official stated, “Human participation in this program will be harmonized with the help of automated spacecraft and robots utilizing artificial intelligence.”

The Roscosmos press office emphasized the importance of the maximum benefit and cost advantage of robotic systems in reducing potential health risks to humans during lunar exploration.

In late 2018, the Space Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences adopted the national lunar program and took action to implement it. Within the scope of this program, Roscosmos Chief Dmitry Rogozin stated during a lecture presentation at Moscow State University that the program would be implemented in several stages up to 2040, and that the first Russian cosmonauts would set foot on the Moon only in 2030.

As part of its program to explore Earth’s natural satellite, Russia anticipates sending automated probes around 2023 to explore the Moon’s south pole, particularly the area referred to as Luna-25.

Source: tass.com/science/1066675