Russian moon mission failed: Luna-25 spacecraft crashes on moon

The first Russian space mission to the moon in almost fifty years has failed. The Luna-25 spacecraft crashed on the moon’s surface after a problem while preparing for a landing attempt. The vessel was supposed to land on Monday.

The Russian space agency Roskosmos lost contact with the spacecraft on Saturday while attempting to land. writes Reuters. “The device entered an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” the organization said in a statement. A committee has been formed to investigate the cause of the failed landing.

Russia’s Luna-25 lunar lander was launched on August 11 and entered orbit around the moon last Wednesday. On Saturday afternoon, the lander’s engines were switched on to initiate a landing, but then an ’emergency’ occurred. The space organization then lost contact with the lunar lander. Roskosmos does not provide further details about the crash.

Luna-25 was supposed to be the first mission to the moon’s south pole. The mission was mainly intended to test technology for landing on the moon. The lander would have spent a year studying the lunar surface if it landed successfully.