News Summary

• Russia has launched its first mission to the moon in nearly years racing to land on the lunar south pole before a spacecraft from India gets there August
• The goal is political competition between two superpowers China and the USA and a number of other countries which also want to claim the title of space superpower
• The Luna was initially meant to carry a small moon rover but that idea was abandoned to reduce the weight of the craft for improved reliability analysts say
• Only three governments have managed successful moon landings the Soviet Union the United States and China