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The loss of Luna 25 was probably due to engine failure, as stated by Yury Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, in a statement to state media on Monday.
The spacecraft reoriented and the engines were turned on at 14:10 to correct its course before making adjustments. Borisov explained that the engine shutdown was not typical as predicted by the cyclogram, but rather following a temporary cutoff.
He stated that the engine had to run for 127 seconds, which was the reason for the spacecraft’s crash instead of the anticipated 84 seconds.
According to the interview, he mentioned that the engine burn had been tested on ground simulators before.
The Luna 25 spacecraft was not in communication with Roscosmos on Saturday. The mission was declared dead the next day.
The experiment was conducted in the zone of stable radio communication, as Borisov explained, and the spacecraft’s crash-landed caused contact to be cut off.
Prior to the loss of communication, Roscosmos had already made public that Luna 25 was attempting to adjust its orbit using thrusters onboard.
The spacecraft was scheduled to reach the moon’s south pole as soon as Monday, but despite repeated attempts to reconnect with Luna 25, Roscosmos officials have determined it was not a crash landing.
The Russian space agency has stated that a special commission will investigate the reasons behind the disappearance of Luna 25.
Borisov pointed out that the lunar program’s suspension for almost 50 years was also a contributing factor to the crash.
“We must start acquiring all the technologies once again, but with a new technical focus,” he stated.
TASS, the state-run news agency of Russia, reported that the country is planning to accelerate its plans for more Luna missions, including Luna 26 and Luna 27.
Comparing the lapse and its significance to present day situations.
The Luna 25 mission was anticipated to be a significant milestone for Russia’s civil space program, as it had not made asteroid landings since the Soviet Union.
On August 18, 1976, Luna 24 made a historic landing on the moon as part of its final mission.
The global space community is particularly interested in the largely unexplored area of the moon’s south pole, where water ice may be stored for future deep-space missions.
Luna 25 from Russia was expected to land at a location closer to the moon’s south pole than any other mission in history. However, India’d Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander is still being evaluated for this achievement and is scheduled to make an attempt as early as Wednesday.
The orbital mechanics makes it hard to reach the area.