In a significant setback for Russia’s lunar ambitions, the Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the moon after experiencing an uncontrolled orbit. The incident occurred during a maneuver, leading to what the Russian space agency Roscosmos referred to as an “abnormal situation.”
Originally a joint effort between Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA), the lunar program took a sharp turn after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, prompting ESA to sever its collaboration with Moscow.
The Luna-25 probe was initially intended to make a controlled landing near the lunar South Pole. One of its key objectives was to search for water, as part of Russia’s broader aim to establish a lunar base by the year 2040.
Germany’s DW News reported the crash citing Roscosmos, the Russian space corporation. The mishap was attributed to a deviation in propulsion maneuver, resulting in the collision with the lunar surface.
According to Roscosmos, on August 19, an impulse was executed in line with the Luna-25 flight program to establish its pre-landing elliptical orbit. However, around 14:57 Moscow time, communication with the spacecraft was abruptly lost. Despite efforts made on August 19 and 20 to locate and reestablish contact with the probe, no positive outcomes were achieved.
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