Luna-25: Russia’s first moon mission in decades ends as lander crashes on to the lunar surface
Russia’s ambitious attempt to revive its lunar exploration program after 47 years ended in disappointment as its Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon’s surface on August 19, 2023. The spacecraft was supposed to soft-land near the moon’s south pole and conduct scientific experiments on the lunar regolith and atmosphere. However, a technical glitch during a critical maneuver caused the spacecraft to deviate from its planned trajectory and collide with the lunar terrain.
According to Russia’s state media TASS, citing the country’s space agency Roscosmos, Luna-25 “switched to an off-design orbit” before the collision. A specially formed interdepartmental commission will investigate the reasons for the loss of Luna-25, the report added. Roscosmos had earlier announced that the spacecraft had encountered an “emergency situation” as it was trying to enter a pre-landing orbit on August 18.
Luna-25 was launched on August 11 from the Vostochny Cosmodrome onboard a Soyuz 2 rocket. It was part of Russia’s Luna-Glob program, which aims to establish a permanent presence on the moon and eventually build a lunar base with China as part of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project. Luna-25 was also seen as a demonstration of Russia’s technological prowess and economic resilience amid international sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2021.
The failure of Luna-25 is a setback for Russia’s space ambitions, as it has not executed a successful interplanetary mission since 1989, when it sent two probes to explore Mars’ moon Phobos. Russia’s last lunar landing mission, Luna-24, took place in 1976 and returned soil samples from the moon. Since then, only China, India, Israel and the U.S. have attempted to land on the moon, with varying degrees of success.
The fate of Luna-25 also highlights the challenges of landing on the moon, especially near its poles, where there are regions of permanent darkness and extreme cold. The south pole is of particular interest to scientists because it hosts deposits of water ice that could be used for future exploration and habitation. However, landing near the pole requires more precise navigation and communication than landing near the equator.
Despite the crash of Luna-25, Roscosmos has said that it will continue its lunar exploration program with future missions. The next one, Luna-26, is scheduled to launch in 2024 and will orbit the moon for a year, mapping its surface and subsurface features. Luna-27, planned for 2025, will attempt another landing near the south pole and deploy a rover to explore the region. worldnewsstudio.com/luna-25-russias-first-moon-mission-in-decades-ends-as-lander-crashes-on-to-the-lunar-surface/