Luna-25, Russia’s first moon mission in 47 years, failed on August 19 when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon
01 September 2023 - 12:36
byGuy Faulconbridge
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A NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter image from August 24 2023 shows a crater on the surface of the moon, likely the impact site of Russia's Luna-25 mission, in this screengrab obtained from a GIF image released on August 31 2023. Picture: NASA's GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER/ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY via REUTERS
Moscow — Russia’s failed Luna-25 mission left a 10m wide crater on the moon when it crashed in August after a problem preparing for a soft landing on the south pole, according to images released by Nasa.
Luna-25, Russia’s first moon mission in 47 years, failed on August 19 when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme.
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft imaged a new crater on the surface of the moon that it concluded was the likely impact site of Russia's Luna 25 mission.
“The new crater is about 10m in diameter," Nasa said. "Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor.”
After the crash, Moscow said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft.
Though many moon missions fail, the crash underscored the decline of Russia's space power since the glory days of Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth — Sputnik 1 in 1957 — and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Russia’s crash into the moon leaves 10m crater
Luna-25, Russia’s first moon mission in 47 years, failed on August 19 when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon
Moscow — Russia’s failed Luna-25 mission left a 10m wide crater on the moon when it crashed in August after a problem preparing for a soft landing on the south pole, according to images released by Nasa.
Luna-25, Russia’s first moon mission in 47 years, failed on August 19 when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme.
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft imaged a new crater on the surface of the moon that it concluded was the likely impact site of Russia's Luna 25 mission.
“The new crater is about 10m in diameter," Nasa said. "Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor.”
After the crash, Moscow said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft.
Though many moon missions fail, the crash underscored the decline of Russia's space power since the glory days of Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth — Sputnik 1 in 1957 — and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961.
Reuters
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