MOSCOW, COMPASS.com – The Russian probe, Luna-25, has been wrecked on the Moon after an incident during a pre-landing maneuver.
The Luna-25 probe is Russia’s first mission to the Moon in nearly 50 years.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Sunday (20/8/2023) that communication with Luna-25 was lost on Saturday (19/8/2023) at 14.57 local time (11.57 GMT).
Also read: Russia Launches First Moon Mission in 50 Years
“According to initial findings, the lander has disappeared after it collided with the surface of the Moon,” Roscosmos said.
“Measures taken on August 19 and 20 to locate the aircraft and establish contact with it were not successful,” they added.
The space agency said an investigation would be carried out to determine the cause of the crash, without giving any indication of a possible technical issue.
With Luna-25, Moscow hopes to continue the legacy of the Soviet-era Luna program, marking a return to independent lunar exploration amid increasing isolation from the West.
The 800-kilogram Luna-25 probe will make a soft landing on the moon’s south pole, the first in history.
Russia has not made another attempt to land on a space object since 1989.
The last time, Russia did this with the Soviet Union’s Phobos 2 probe, which failed to explore the moons of Mars due to a computer failure on board.
Roscosmos boss Yuri Borisov said the venture would be risky.
He told Russian President Vladimir Putin in person in June that the chances of success were around 70 percent.
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2023-08-20 10:05:00
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