Russia's Recent Lunar Mission Ends in Impact on Moon, Breaking 47-Year Silence

MOSCOW, Aug 20 - Russia's recent lunar endeavor, its first in 47 years, encountered a setback as the Luna-25 spacecraft, intended for a triumphant return to the moon's surface, faced an unexpected challenge during pre-landing orbit preparations. The incident highlighted the evolving landscape of Russia's space program, reflecting a shift from its once-dominant position on the global stage.

Roskosmos, Russia's state space corporation, revealed that communication with the craft was lost at 11:57 GMT on Saturday due to an anomaly that occurred as the spacecraft was adjusting its trajectory for a planned soft landing on Monday.

In a statement, Roskosmos stated, "The spacecraft entered an unforeseen orbital path and, as a result, unfortunately made contact with the lunar surface."

To probe into the reasons behind the Luna-25's unexpected mishap, a dedicated cross-departmental commission has been established. This mission had rekindled hopes in Moscow of Russia's resurgence in the grand lunar race among the world's leading powers.

The event underscored the transformation of Russia's space prowess since the remarkable Cold War era, during which Moscow achieved significant milestones like launching the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957, and sending Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961.

This incident also coincides with a challenging period for Russia's $2 trillion economy, as it grapples with external pressures such as Western sanctions and its involvement in one of the most extensive land conflicts in Europe since World War Two.

While moon missions are notoriously intricate and both American and Soviet attempts have previously faced setbacks, Russia's last lunar mission, Luna-24, took place in 1976, during the tenure of Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Russian state television featured the news of Luna-25's setback as the 8th story in its noon lineup, providing only 26 seconds of coverage. This brief mention followed reports about fires in Tenerife and a 4-minute segment celebrating a professional holiday for Russian aviation personnel.

UNFULFILLED LUNAR AMBITIONS

Russia had been in a race against time with India, as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced its Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's upcoming landing on the moon's southern pole by August 23. Furthermore, Russia's lunar aspirations were intertwined with the lunar dreams of China and the United States, both of which are striving for lunar excellence.

Anatoly Zak, the visionary behind www.RussianSpaceWeb.com, a website dedicated to monitoring Russian space ventures, pointed out that Luna-25's flight control system had vulnerabilities that required numerous adjustments. Zak noted that Russia had aimed for an audacious lunar landing before conducting a simpler orbital mission—an approach akin to the practices of the Soviet Union, the United States, China, and India.

Although Luna-25 ventured beyond Earth's orbit, a contrast to the ill-fated 2011 Fobos-Grunt mission targeting one of Mars' moons, the crash might impact Russia's broader lunar program. This program includes multiple forthcoming missions over the next few years, including a potential collaborative endeavor with China.

Russian scientists have frequently lamented the weakening of their space program due to inadequate management, unrealistic vanity space projects, corruption, and a decline in the rigor of the post-Soviet scientific education system.

Mikhail Marov, a distinguished Soviet physicist and astronomer, expressed his disappointment, saying, "It is regrettable that the landing did not come to fruition." Marov, aged 90, was hospitalized in Moscow upon hearing of Luna-25's setback, although specific details about his condition were not disclosed.

In an interview with the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper, Marov shared his hope that the incident's causes would be thoroughly examined and discussed. He added, "This was perhaps my last hope to witness a revival of our lunar program."

Source : Reuters (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Additional reporting by YP Rajesh)