Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft experienced a tragic incident when it lost control and spiraled out of command during its attempt to enter the pre-landing orbit on the moon.
This unfortunate event marked the end of Russia’s first lunar voyage in 47 years and underscored the decline of a once-dominant space initiative in the post-Soviet era. The malfunction took place on Saturday at 11:57 GMT while the spacecraft was being maneuvered into the pre-landing orbit, putting Monday’s planned gentle landing at risk.
Roskosmos, the Russian space agency, stated that the craft entered an unforeseen orbit and ultimately met its demise by colliding with the lunar surface.
Roskosmos issued a statement explaining that they had established a special interdepartmental commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Luna 25 craft. The formation of this commission had initially sparked hope in Moscow that Russia might be reasserting its presence in the global competition for lunar exploration.
This tragic incident highlighted the diminishing space capabilities of Russia compared to its height during the Cold War rivalry.
Notably, Moscow achieved significant milestones such as launching the first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957 and sending Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, into space in 1961, as reported by Reuters. Apart from this space setback, Russia is grappling with various challenges. Its $2 trillion economy is currently facing its most substantial external challenge in decades due to Western sanctions.
Additionally, the nation is embroiled in the largest land conflict in Europe since World War II. Since the Luna-24 mission in 1976, which occurred during the leadership of communist leader Leonid Brezhnev, Russia had refrained from lunar missions until the ill-fated Luna 25 mission.
