NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured images of a new crater on the Moon’s surface, believed to be the impact site of Russia’s Luna 25 mission. The spacecraft deviated from its intended landing point due to a descent anomaly and impacted the Moon on August 19. The LROC (LRO Camera) team and the LRO Mission Operations team were able to command the LRO spacecraft to capture images of the site, confirming the presence of a small new crater.
Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, published an estimate of the impact point on August 21, prompting the LROC team to compare images taken prior to the impact and the sequence taken after. The images revealed the formation of a crater close to the Luna 25 estimated impact point, leading the LRO team to conclude that it is likely from that mission rather than a natural impactor.
The new crater, approximately 10 meters in diameter, is located at 57.865 degrees south latitude and 61.360 degrees east longitude. It is situated on the steep inner rim of Pontécoulant G crater, about 400 kilometers short of Luna 25’s intended landing point. The LRO’s most recent “before” image of the area was captured in June 2022, indicating that the crater formed sometime after that date.
Luna 25, also known as Luna-Glob-Lander, is a Russian lunar lander mission that launched on August 10, 2023, with the objective of studying the composition of the lunar regolith and the plasma and dust components of the lunar polar exosphere. Unfortunately, communications were lost on August 19, and the lander reportedly crashed on the Moon’s surface.
The LRO, launched on June 18, 2009, has been instrumental in mapping the lunar surface in high detail and providing valuable data for future lunar missions. It carries a suite of instruments, including the LROC and LOLA, to capture images and map the Moon’s topography. The LRO’s discoveries have included the identification of safe landing sites, potential resources, and the presence of water ice at the Moon’s poles.
The LRO’s mission, originally planned to last approximately one year, has been extended multiple times due to its success. Its data has been crucial in planning future manned and unmanned missions to the Moon, such as NASA’s Artemis program. The LRO continues to play a vital role in enhancing our understanding of the Moon and preparing for future lunar exploration endeavors.