The automatic interplanetary station Luna-25 has collided with the surface of Earth’s natural satellite, according to Roscosmos’ press service.
Preliminary analysis indicates that the actual impact parameters deviated from calculations, sending the craft along an undesigned trajectory that led to its destruction upon contact with the Moon’s surface, the agency stated.
Communication with the station was severed the day before, August 19, when an impulse aimed at creating a pre-landing elliptical orbit was issued.
Around 14:57 Moscow time on August 19, contact with Luna-25 was lost. Despite efforts on August 19 and 20 to locate and reestablish contact, no results were achieved, Roscosmos reported.
A special interdepartmental commission will be formed to clarify the causes of Luna-25’s loss, the state company added.
Engine remains active longer than planned,
Ivan Moiseev, head of the Space Policy Institute, suggested in a conversation with socialbites.ca that the craft should have descended and been prepared for landing. If the system isn’t shut down in time, the orbit will decay until it intersects the lunar surface, which is what occurred. The exact reasons for not closing the engine remain undisclosed, with explanations still pending from Roscosmos’s forthcoming commission, he noted.
An Attempt to Return to the Moon Race After 47 Years
The modern Russian lunar program began with Luna-25’s launch on August 11 from Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region, aboard a Soyuz-2.1b carrier rocket with a Fregat upper stage. This mission marked Russia’s first lunar excursion since the Soviet Luna-24 mission in 1976.
Luna-25 aimed to analyze the Moon’s soil and conduct long-term scientific studies, including examining the upper surface in the South Pole region, assessing the solar wind’s impact on the body, and exploring the lunar exosphere.
The spacecraft achieved lunar orbit and contributed initial imagery, though one device captured an early example of micrometeorite interaction with the lunar surface.
The planned landing date for Luna-25 was August 21.
Planned Progress Toward Manned Lunar Landing by 2030
Luna-25 forms part of Russia’s extended program to explore and utilize Earth’s natural satellite. The next mission, Luna-26, is scheduled for 2027 and will conduct remote sensing and scientific studies of the Moon.
Alexander Bloshenko, Roscosmos’ general manager for advanced programs and science, stated in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta that Luna-26 would follow Luna-25 with a 2027 launch window.
Luna-27 is slated for August 2025 and is expected to perform in-situ analysis by drilling two meters into the regolith, studying frozen samples, magnetic anomalies, and seismic activity, while testing safe landing techniques for heavy vehicles.
Moiseev of the Space Policy Institute cautioned that the probability of success for subsequent missions decreases after the Luna-25 setback, as data and landing experience are no longer as strong a foundation. Still, the program continues, aiming to advance Russian lunar exploration.
Moon missions Luna-28 and the push toward a crewed landing by 2030 were discussed by Roscosmos leadership, emphasizing the long-term goal of human exploration of the Moon.
Academician Mikhail Marov urged a sober assessment of the incident and suggested that a renewed push could still be viable, provided leadership makes informed decisions. The Luna-25 crash prompted discussions about reviving the lunar program, with institutions noting the need to learn from this event and move forward.