A Russian spacecraft entered lunar orbit today, a major step in the country’s ambitions to be the first to reach the moon’s south pole in search of frozen water.

Luna-25 entered lunar orbit at 11:57 local time (and Greek time), the Russian space agency Roskosmos announced.

Luna-25 will orbit the Moon, Earth’s only natural satellite, for about five days, then reverse course to begin a soft landing at the Moon’s south pole scheduled for Aug. 21.

India’s Chandrayaan-3 entered lunar orbit earlier this month ahead of a planned lunar landing at the South Pole later this month.

Luna-25, about the size of a small car, is intended to operate for a year at the South Pole, where scientists at NASA and other space agencies in recent years have detected traces of frozen water in the craters.

The existence of water on the Moon would have implications for major space forces, potentially allowing for longer periods of human habitation on the planet, which would allow for the mining of lunar resources.

No Russian spacecraft has entered lunar orbit since Luna-24, the Soviet lunar mission in 1976, according to Anatoly Zak, creator and editor of www.RussianSpaceWeb.com, which chronicles the Russian space program.

“Getting into orbit is absolutely critical to the success of this plan,” Jacques told Reuters. “It is a first for the post-Soviet period.”

“Some are talking about a second showdown for the Moon, so it is very important for Russia to repeat this program. Luna-25 is not just a mission — it is part of a much broader Russian strategy that stretches ten years into the future.”