AHC: A Ukrainian Moon Landing

[The Militant Doberman]

Here is something from October 2016:

The Ukrainian space industry possesses all the necessary technologies to carry out ... flights to the moon. This was stated in an interview with "Ukrinform" by Alexander Degtyarev, the Director General of the "Yuzhnoye" Rocket-Design Bureau.

“Ukraine today has a sufficient technological base to manufacture all the needed components for [an interplanetary Mars-mission],” Degtyarev said. At the same time he stated that a flight to the Moon, where it would be possible to mine for mineral & energy resources, is a more realistic goal.

As you can guess Mr. Degtyarev statement was met with much jokes on the Eastern European side of the internet. At the same time, it isn’t as silly as it first appears as Ukraine does have a space-rocket industry (albeit one that OTL builds light/medium rockets) as well as blueprints & (maybe?) hardware for manufacturing the lunar lander from the cancelled Soviet Manned Lunar Program (blueprints that, supposedly, Beijing is interested in buying from Kiev).

So here is the challenge — create a scenario where, post 1991, the Republic of Ukraine carries out a manned Lunar landing and snaps this photo:

 

[hammo1j]

May be the world pays big for Ukraine to give up its nukes...

 

[Coiler]

Does a Ukrainian cosmonaut traveling in a rocket launched from somewhere else count?

 

[Corjomc]

In an attempt to create more national unity the government of the Ukraine decides to go to the Moon.

It colloquiallyy becomes known as the "ignore the Now!, We are the Future!" movement

Ukraine offers partnerships with the other billionaires on Earth looking to get into Space.

A "Your Company Name Here" on the Moon, visible to the the whole earth below, is offered as an incentive.

 

[The Militant Doberman]

Does a Ukrainian cosmonaut traveling in a rocket launched from somewhere else count?

Do you mean is it OK if the Ukrainian moon-mission is launched from a non-Ukrainian spaceport like the Baikonur Cosmodrome or the Guiana Space Centre? Yeah, that’s fine.

Do you mean is it OK if Ukraine buys a seat on another country’s moon-bound lander? No, that doesn’t fulfill the OP.