Russian Robotic Spacecraft Crashes Into Moon, Russia’s Space Agency Confirms
A Russian robotic spacecraft that was on a mission to land on the lunar surface has crashed into the moon, according to Russia’s space agency. The crash was confirmed following a preliminary investigation after the spacecraft lost contact.
This setback marks the latest failure in spaceflight for Russia, a country that was the first to achieve several milestones during the Cold War. These achievements included launching a satellite, sending a man and then a woman into orbit.
The Luna-25 lander, Russia’s first attempt to land on the moon’s surface since the 1970s, had entered lunar orbit last week and was scheduled to land as early as Monday. However, an unexpected “emergency situation” occurred, preventing the orbital adjustment required for landing.
Efforts to re-establish contact with the spacecraft have failed, and it has been determined that Luna-25 deviated from its planned orbit and collided with the lunar surface. An interagency commission will be formed to investigate the cause of the failure.
Luna-25’s mission was significant as it aimed to reach the moon’s south polar region. This area is of interest to government space programs and private companies worldwide as it is believed to contain water ice that could be utilized for future space missions.
With Russia’s failure, India now has the opportunity to land the first probe in the vicinity of the lunar south pole. India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which launched in July, is set to attempt a landing on Wednesday.
The failure of Russia’s mission and the potential success of India’s mission would be a blow to President Vladimir V. Putin, who has often highlighted Russia’s achievements in space as a symbol of national power. The Kremlin has utilized the country’s space industry to strengthen geopolitical relationships and expand economic and political ties with non-Western countries.
Interest in the Luna-25 mission within Russia itself appeared to be minimal, as the launch took place during the early hours, and state media did not heavily cover its progress.
Russia’s exploration of Earth’s solar system has declined since the Soviet era, with the last major success occurring over 35 years ago. Recent missions to Mars have failed, including the ill-fated Phobos-Grunt mission in 2011.
Financial and technological challenges, along with sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have hampered Russia’s space program. The country now faces further delays in its lunar missions, including the construction of a lunar base in collaboration with China.
Russia’s space program relies on cooperation with NASA and the European Space Agency; however, joint projects have been affected by geopolitical tensions. Russia must now find alternatives to replace key components that were intended to come from Europe.
The country’s struggle to develop new space hardware, particularly reliable electronics for space conditions, has hindered its progress. This issue affects the entire Russian space program, making it difficult to compete with the advances made by other countries.
Other ambitious Russian space plans, such as the Angara rockets and the Oryol spacecraft, are also facing delays and may take longer than expected to complete.
While landing on the moon is a challenging endeavor, China has successfully accomplished this feat three times in recent years. However, other missions, including a Japanese attempt, have resulted in crash-landings due to technical glitches.
As Russia assesses the causes of the failed lunar mission, it must address its challenges in space technology and strive to regain its position as a significant player in space exploration.