Russia's first Moon mission since Soviet era fails
Russia's ambitious Luna-25 mission to the Moon ended in a disaster as the spacecraft crashed into the lunar surface on August 19, 2023. The probe was supposed to make a soft landing near the south pole of the Moon, a region that has never been explored before by any country. However, due to a technical glitch during a crucial manoeuvre, the spacecraft lost contact with the ground control and spiralled into an uncontrolled orbit. The impact destroyed the spacecraft and its scientific instruments, leaving behind a crater on the Moon.
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What was the Luna-25 mission? |
## What was the Luna-25 mission?
Luna-25 was Russia's first lunar mission since the Soviet era, when it launched several successful probes to the Moon between 1959 and 1976. The mission was part of Russia's Lunar Exploration Program, which aims to establish a permanent presence on the Moon by 2030. Luna-25 was designed to study the lunar polar surface material (regolith) composition and the particles in the lunar polar exosphere. The spacecraft carried a suite of sensors, cameras, spectrometers, and a drill to collect soil samples. The mission was also intended to test new technologies for landing, navigation, and communication on the Moon.
## What went wrong with Luna-25?
According to the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Luna-25 experienced an "emergency situation" on board during a thrust manoeuvre to transfer the probe onto the pre-landing orbit. The exact cause of the problem is still under investigation, but preliminary analysis suggests that there was a deviation of the actual parameters of the impulse from the calculated ones, which caused the spacecraft to switch to an off-design orbit. As a result, Luna-25 lost contact with the ground control and crashed into the Moon at a high speed.
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| What are the implications of Luna-25 crash? |
The crash of Luna-25 is a major setback for Russia's space program, which has been struggling with budget cuts, technical issues, and delays in recent years. The failure also means that Russia has missed its chance to become the first country to land on the south pole of the Moon, a region that is believed to harbor frozen water and other valuable resources. The crash also raises questions about the safety and reliability of Russia's space technology, especially as it plans to launch more ambitious missions to the Moon and Mars in the future.
## What is next for lunar exploration?
Despite the crash of Luna-25, lunar exploration is not over. Several countries and private companies are still pursuing their own missions to the Moon, with different goals and approaches. For instance, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission is scheduled to attempt a soft landing on the south pole of the Moon on August 23, 2023, hoping to succeed where its predecessor Chandrayaan-2 failed in 2019. China's Chang'e-6 mission is expected to launch in 2024, aiming to collect and return samples from the south pole of the Moon. NASA's Artemis program plans to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2024, and establish a sustainable human presence there by 2028. SpaceX's Starship vehicle is also being developed to transport cargo and crew to the Moon and beyond.
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| What is next for lunar exploration? |
The Moon remains a fascinating and challenging destination for exploration and discovery. The crash of Luna-25 is a reminder of the risks and uncertainties involved in space exploration, but also of the resilience and perseverance of human curiosity and ambition. As more missions are launched to the Moon in the coming years, we can expect to learn more about our nearest celestial neighbor and its secrets.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 8/21/2023
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(6) What Really Happened To LUNA Crypto? - Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2022/09/20/what-really-happened-to-luna-crypto/.
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