Roscosmos reported Sunday that the Luna-25 probe, Russia’s first Moon mission for almost 50 years crashed onto Earth’s natural satellite following an incident unspecified during pre-landing maneuvers.
The crash occurs almost a year after Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine, which has left Moscow isolated and subject to punishing sanctions affecting the space industry.
The failed mission comes as several companies and nations have entered a Moon race, and put a spotlight on the Russian space sector’s troubles – from corruption to lack of innovation and partnerships.
Roscosmos reported that communication with Luna-25 had been lost on Saturday at 2:57 PM (1157 GMT).
According to preliminary results, the lander is no longer existent following a collision. Moon‘s surface”.
The space agency said that “measures taken to locate and contact the craft on August 19 and 20, were unsuccessful.”
The statement said that a ministerial inquiry would be launched into the cause of the crash without indicating what technical issues might have occurred.
Luna-25 was intended to continue the legacy of the Soviet Luna program. It would have marked a return to an independent Moon exploration, despite financial problems and corruption scandals within the programme as well as the growing isolation of the West.
Valery Yegorov said that the crash will have a severe impact on future Roscosmos missions. The next mission is not scheduled until 2028, or “even further”.
He said the failure of the investigation was due to electronic issues, which could be a result of Western sanctions against Moscow.
Yegorov stated that the Luna-25 launch had been postponed multiple times over the past five years “because sanctions were imposed against Russia as a result of seizing Crimea”.
Research ‘not priority’
“Science, fundamentals research, and some humanistic ideas, such as space colonisation or revealing secrets about the universe, clearly aren’t a priority at this time,” said Yegorov. He has also denounced Kremlin Ukraine offense.
The 800-kilogramme (1,760-pound) Luna-25 probe was to have made a soft landing on Monday on the Moon’s south pole – which would have been a historic first.
The last time Russia attempted to land on an astronomical body was in 1989 when the Soviet Union sent its Phobos 2 probe, which explored the moons MarsAfter a computer malfunction, the onboard system failed.
Yuri Borisov, Roscosmos’ chief, had warned that the venture was “risky”, and told President Vladimir Putin back in June the chances of success were “around 70%”.
Luna-25 was successfully launched on Wednesday from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East.
Space race
Roscosmos, however, announced that an “emergency,” detected by the probe as it was performing a manoeuvre before its landing, had prevented the operation.
Luna-25 had been expected to stay on the Moon for a year, collecting soil samples and looking for water – an ingredient enthusiasts hope could be used to make rocket fuel for future launches and support potential colonies living there.
The cameras on the lander have already captured images of the surface of the moon.
After the military offensive in Ukraine, doubts have already been raised about the long-standing space cooperation between Russia and the West.
The European Space Agency (ESA), which had planned to work with Moscow to launch missions to the Moon and Mars, has now dropped its plans.
Moscow last landed a probe – Luna-24 – on the Moon in 1976, before shifting away from lunar exploration in favour of missions to VenusThe Mir space station is being built.
The successful landing of Luna-25 would have opened the door for future Russian missions to the Moon at a moment when India and China launch their own probes, and the United States resumes manned missions.
India’s competing space probe, Chandrayaan-3, entered the Moon’s orbit earlier in August, also with the goal of landing on the south pole.
Before now, only Russia, China and the United States have successfully landed on the Moon.
