The Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences has announced that the Luna-27 project will move to full domestic production for its scientific instruments starting in 2023, with all equipment sourced from within Russia. This shift comes amid broader sanctions-driven import substitution efforts affecting the project’s hardware footprint.
Igor Mitrofanov, head of the Department of Nuclear Planetology at IKI RAS, stated that the Luna-27 instrument suite will rely on Russian-made components this year. His remarks underscore a strategic pivot toward self-sufficiency in the wake of external restrictions on foreign suppliers.
The policy shift was framed as a response to sanctions affecting Russia, which have complicated access to international equipment and technology for space missions.
Originally, Luna-27 was conceived as a joint venture between Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA) and represented the initial phase of Russia’s lunar program. ESA withdrew from the project on April 13, 2022, leaving Roscosmos to advance the mission solo.
Luna-27, together with Luna-26, forms part of the Luna-Source-1 mission plan, which outlines the deployment of multiple lunar assets in the subsequent years.
Officials project a Luna-27 launch toward Earth’s Moon in the mid-2020s, with a target window around 2025 for arrival on lunar soil.
The record of past lunar exploration includes NASA’s historic missions, and the evolving story of Luna-27 reflects ongoing adjustments in international collaboration and domestic capabilities in space science.