LONDON. On Monday, the head of Russia’s space agency disclosed that the Luna-25 spacecraft’s lunar crash resulted from engine shutdown failure, citing Russia’s prolonged hiatus in lunar exploration as a contributing factor to the incident.
The pilotless Luna-25 was slated for a Monday landing, aiming to become the first spacecraft to touch down on the moon’s south pole, a region believed to house significant stores of frozen water and valuable elements.
Yury Borisov, Director General of Roscosmos, explained that the spacecraft’s engines, activated over the weekend to establish a “pre-landing orbit,” failed to deactivate as intended, leading to the unfortunate impact on the lunar surface. The communication with the spacecraft was maintained until 2:57 p.m. local time Saturday, after which contact was lost, resulting in the craft entering an open lunar orbit before crashing onto the moon.
This mission marked Russia’s first lunar venture since 1976 when it was a part of the Soviet Union. Successful moon landings have only been achieved by three countries: the Soviet Union, the United States, and China.
Borisov attributed the mishap to the “negative experience of interrupting the lunar program for almost 50 years,” expressing the view that discontinuing the program now would be an ill-advised decision.
The Luna-25 was engaged in a race against an Indian spacecraft launched on July 14, both aiming to reach the moon’s south pole between August 21 and 23. An earlier Indian attempt in 2019 to land on the moon’s south pole resulted in a crash.
Launched from Russia’s Far East Vostochny Cosmodrome on August 10, the Luna-25 mission showcased Russia’s ambitions to be at the forefront of space exploration. The lunar south pole is of significant interest due to the possibility of frozen water reserves within the shadowed polar craters, which could be harnessed for future space missions.
Despite the recent setback, Roscosmos affirmed that the moon mission remains essential for long-term “defense capability” and “technological sovereignty.” Borisov declared that the “race to develop the moon’s natural resources has begun,” envisioning the moon as an ideal platform for deep space exploration.
Sanctions imposed on Russia following its involvement in the Ukraine conflict have impacted the country’s space program, posing challenges in accessing Western technology. Although initially intended to carry a small moon rover, the Luna-25 had its design modified to improve reliability by reducing weight.
In scientific circles, the lunar south pole’s permanently shadowed craters are seen as promising locations for frozen water that could be converted into air and rocket fuel by future explorers.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
