The probe, which was part of Russia's rekindled lunar exploration program, encountered an "unusual situation" during its landing preparations.
Efforts to reestablish contact with the probe have proven fruitless, as Roskosmos conceded defeat today in its quest to salvage the mission. Preliminary findings suggest that the Luna-25 probe deviated from its planned trajectory and smashed into the lunar surface.
"Based on preliminary analyses, the Luna-25 probe entered an unplanned orbit and unfortunately met its end due to a collision with the Moon's surface," Roskosmos announced in a statement.
The Luna-25 mission was on August 10 launched atop a Soyuz 2.1v rocket from the Vostochny cosmodrome situated in the Amur region, approximately 5500 km east of Moscow. The initial schedule envisioned the lunar lander touching down on the Moon's surface on August 21.
This marked Russia's first lunar venture since 1976, when the Soviet Union vied with the United States during the historic space race. The Luna-24 vehicle back then successfully transported soil samples to Earth.
However, in recent years, Russia's space program has languished due to financial constraints, corruption scandals, and the imposition of sanctions that have disrupted the import of essential components required for space missions. The nation's space aspirations have been further dampened by the rise of new contenders in the international space arena, namely India and China.
India launched the Chandrayaan-3 lander to the Moon in July, while China has achieved multiple successful lunar landings, even attaining the distinction of being the first nation to position its lander on the Moon's hemisphere that remains hidden from Earth.
According to experts, the quest for water resources will be pivotal in establishing a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. In 2018, NASA discovered water ice in shaded regions near the Moon's southern pole, and further advancements in 2020 identified water ice even in sunlit areas.
(jh)
Source: RMF24
