21-08-23, 03:43
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ANOTHER Putins' Failure as Luna-25 Spacecraft Crashes Into Moon
Putins' Luna-25 Spacecraft Crashes Into Moon
Russia Suffers Space Mission Failure as Luna-25 Smashes Into Moon
BBC 21 AUG 2023
Russia's first moon mission in 47 years failed after its Luna-25 space craft spun out of control and smashed into moon, Russia's state space corporation, Roskosmos, said on Sunday (August 20).
Roscosmos said it had lost contact with the craft shortly after a problem occurred as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit on Saturday.
It was set to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements.
Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said on Sunday morning that it had lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after 14:57pm (11:57 GMT) on Saturday.
Preliminary findings showed that the 800kg lander had "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon", it said in a statement.
It said a special commission would look into why the mission failed.
The loss of Luna-25 is a blow to Roscosmos. Russia's civilian space programme has been in decline for several years, as state funding is increasingly directed towards the military.
Russia was racing to the Moon's south pole against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land there in the coming days and send a rover to explore the rocks and craters, gathering data and images to send back to Earth.
Parts of the Moon's south pole remain permanently in shadow, which makes finding water a possibility.
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