A mission to land a robot probe on an unexplored part of the moon is expected to be approved by the European Space Agency (ESA) next year, says a BBC report.
The Russian-led mission, a joint venture with the ESA, is one of a series to eventually send astronauts back to the moon.
Luna 27, set to be launched in five years time, restarts a lunar exploration programme halted by the Soviet Union in the mid 1970s.
It will help pave the way for manned missions by looking for materials in lunar soil and rock that can be used to provide water, oxygen and fuel for astronauts.
