Russian Moon lander Luna-25 crashes onto the surface of the Moon

The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, has announced that its Luna-25 probe, intended to analyse lunar soil samples, crashed onto the Moon’s surface. The probe was the first Russia had launched to the Moon since 1976.

The incident occurred during a manoeuvre prior to landing, resulting in a loss of communication around 14:57 Moscow time (UTC+3) on Saturday. Despite search efforts, no contact was reestablished. A collision with the lunar surface was determined as the cause of the probe’s failure.

This setback comes as Russia’s space programme faces challenges like funding issues, corruption scandals, and geopolitical isolation due to the conflict in Ukraine. An investigation is underway to determine the reasons behind the incident.

The Luna-25 mission aimed to reinvigorate Russia’s space sector by collecting and analysing soil samples, with a 70% estimated probability of success. The mission’s failure underscores the challenges Russia’s space industry has encountered in recent years.