Luna-25 lunar mission ends in engine failure-induced crash

author: FutureCar Staff    

Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, has confirmed that its Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon due to engine failure. The pilotless mission aimed to become the first to land on the moon's south pole but encountered a mishap during its landing attempt. The spacecraft's engines did not shut down properly after being turned on to enter a "pre-landing orbit," causing it to crash onto the lunar surface.

The head of Russia's space agency, Yury Borisov, blamed the country's decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mishap. He stated that the Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon after its engines failed to shut down correctly. The Luna-25 was scheduled to land on the moon's south pole, an area believed to have important reserves of frozen water and precious elements.

Roscosmos Director General Yury Borisov explained that the spacecraft's engines were turned on to put Luna-25 into a "pre-landing orbit" but did not shut down properly, resulting in the lander plunging onto the moon. Communication with the spacecraft was lost, and it crashed into the lunar surface.

Russia's lunar mission was its first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. Only three countries, including the Soviet Union, the United States, and China, have successfully landed on the moon. Borisov emphasized that the negative experience of interrupting the lunar program for almost 50 years contributed to the failures and stated that ending the program now would be the worst decision ever.

The Luna-25 was in a race with an Indian spacecraft to be the first to reach the moon's south pole. Both were expected to reach the moon between Aug. 21 and Aug. 23. The crash of the Luna-25 follows a previous Indian attempt to land at the moon's south pole in 2019, which also ended in failure.

The Russian lunar mission launched from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on Aug. 10, which is a key project for Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to establish Russia as a space superpower. Roscosmos aimed to demonstrate Russia's capability to deliver a payload to the moon and ensure guaranteed access to its surface.

Following the crash, the Russian space agency stated that the moon mission was crucial for long-term defense capability and technological sovereignty. Borisov mentioned that the race to develop the moon's natural resources has begun, and the moon will become an ideal platform for the exploration of deep space.

Sanctions imposed on Russia since its war in Ukraine have affected its space program, making it more challenging to access Western technology. The Luna-25 was initially planned to carry a small moon rover, but the idea was abandoned to improve the craft's reliability by reducing its weight.

The lunar south pole is of great interest to scientists due to the belief that the permanently shadowed polar craters may contain frozen water that could be transformed into air and rocket fuel by future explorers.

FutureCar Staff