A Russian robotic spacecraft that was headed to the lunar surface has crashed into the moon. The loss of the Luna-25 moon lander was announced by Russia’s space agency on Sunday. The statement claimed contact with the vehicle was lost 47 minutes after the engine fired.
Attempts to re-establish communications failed, and the spacecraft deviated from its planned orbit and “ceased its existence as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” Roscosmos said.
According to the statement, an interagency commission would be formed to investigate the reasons for the failure.
It is the latest setback in spaceflight for Russia which once led the world into space. The then-Soviet Union, during the Cold War, became the first nation, to put a satellite, a man and then a woman in orbit.
Lunar-25 Moon Lander was a setback
The Luna-25 moon lander was a key component of the country’s space ambitions.
This mission was intended to be Russia’s first successful moon landing since the 1970s. It carried with it the hopes of reviving the nation’s space achievements on the global stage.
