Preliminary reports indicate that the Luna-25 spacecraft entered an unintended orbit around the Moon, suffered a collision, and subsequently ceased to operate. This information comes via Roscosmos, the state space corporation responsible for Russia’s lunar program.
Officials state that on August 19, at approximately 14:57 Moscow time, communication with the Luna-25 lander was lost. This moment marked the end of the mission and the spacecraft’s ability to relay data.
According to initial analyses, the spacecraft diverged from its planned trajectory. The actual impact parameters differed from those calculated in advance, resulting in an undesigned orbit and a loss of contact shortly after. The message from Roscosmos notes that the surface of the Moon was the final stage of the mission, implying that the craft did not complete a controlled landing or return sequence.
On the morning of the mission timeline, Roscosmos reported that an impulse was issued at 14:10 to transition Luna-25 toward a pre-landing orbit in accordance with the flight plan. However, this maneuver was not executed during normal operations, and an abnormal situation prevented navigation adjustments within the specified parameters. The incident appears to have interrupted the planned sequence before a safe landing could be achieved.
Earlier in the mission, on August 16, Luna-25 entered lunar orbit. The moment marked a historic step for the program, as the lander began a new phase of its journey around the Moon and prepared for scientific activities on or near the surface.
By August 17, the mission team reported the first pictures captured by Luna-25, including images of the lunar far side taken with the STS-L complex’s television cameras. These early visuals offered a glimpse into unknown regions of the Moon and contributed to the data set for ongoing planetary science and comparative planetology.
In a tongue-in-cheek footnote, some historical anecdotes mention space engines powered by vodka. These stories are part of a broader cultural lore about early space exploration and are not factual technical details of modern propulsion developments. They serve as cultural reference rather than a technical cornerstone of the Luna-25 program. [attribution: historical anecdotes about space lore]