Russian Spacecraft Faces “Abnormal Situation” Ahead of Moon Landing
Russian spacecraft Luna-25, scheduled to land on the south pole of the moon on Monday, encountered an “abnormal situation” during its maneuver to transfer to its pre-landing orbit, Russia’s national space agency Roskosmos announced. The lunar mission aims to explore the possibility of frozen water and precious elements in the area.
Roskosmos provided a brief statement on Saturday, stating that an abnormal situation on board the Luna-25 prevented the maneuver from being performed with the specified parameters. Specialists are currently analyzing the situation, but no further details were provided.
The Luna-25 successfully entered the moon’s orbit on Wednesday, marking the first Russian spacecraft to do so since 1976. About the size of a small car, the spacecraft is expected to operate for a year on the south pole, where traces of frozen water have been detected in craters by scientists at NASA and other space agencies.
The presence of water on the moon has significant implications for major space powers, as it could potentially enable longer human stays and the mining of lunar resources. The Luna-25 mission aims to gather data on the chemical elements present in the lunar soil and facilitate the operation of devices designed to study the moon’s near-surface.
Earlier, Roskosmos announced that it had received the first results from the Luna-25 mission, which are currently being analyzed. The agency also shared images of the Zeeman crater on the moon, taken by the spacecraft. The crater, measuring 190km (118 miles) in diameter and eight kilometers (five miles) in depth, is the third deepest in the moon’s southern hemisphere.
Additionally, Roskosmos stated that the spacecraft’s equipment had registered “the event of a micrometeorite impact.” This information will add to the overall data collected during the mission.
Despite the setback, scientists and space enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the findings from Luna-25’s exploration of the moon’s south pole. If successful, the mission could provide valuable insights into the moon’s resources and potential for future space exploration.