Russia's much-anticipated lunar mission, Luna-25, faced a tragic setback as it crash-landed on the Moon, just one day before its planned touchdown on the Moon's south pole. The Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed this unfortunate incident, signaling the end of a lunar endeavor that aimed to rekindle Russia's prowess in space exploration.
According to official statements, Luna-25 was following its designated flight program when an impulse was initiated to form its pre-landing elliptical orbit. However, at approximately 14:57 Moscow time, communication with the spacecraft was abruptly severed. The subsequent efforts on August 19 and 20 to locate the craft and restore communication proved futile.
The preliminary analysis revealed that a deviation in the actual parameters of the impulse caused the spacecraft to shift to an unintended orbit, leading to a collision with the lunar surface. This turn of events dashed hopes for a successful soft landing, marking an unfortunate end to Russia's lunar journey that began on August 10 with Luna-25's launch and had entered lunar orbit on August 16.
The Russian space agency Roscosmos has set up a special interdepartmental commission to investigate and ascertain the precise reasons behind the mission's failure.
This incident also draws attention to India's ongoing space endeavors, with Chandrayaan-3 poised for a lunar landing on August 23, 2023. As Luna-25's mission closes on a somber note, the spotlight now shifts to India's lunar aspirations and the anticipation surrounding Chandrayaan-3's upcoming lunar touchdown.
Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
— ISRO (@isro) August 20, 2023
????????Chandrayaan-3 is set to land on the moon ????on August 23, 2023, around 18:04 Hrs. IST.
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