Russian Luna-25 mission leaves moon scarred after crash, NASA images confirm
Recent images released by NASA have confirmed the aftermath of Russia's Luna-25 mission, which ended in failure last month with a crash landing on the moon. These images reveal a substantial 10-meter wide crater on the lunar surface, attributed to the Luna-25's uncontrolled descent.
Once the world's pioneering space nation, Russia's first moon mission in nearly five decades went horribly wrong for Moscow.
Luna-25 spiralled out of control on August 19, colliding with the moon's surface. However, Russia does not know the exact cause of the crash, with a specialized inter-departmental commission conducting an investigation.
NASA was able to capture the scar on the moon, with the help of its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft.
It pinpointed the new crater and concluded that it is likely the impact site of Russia's Luna-25 mission. NASA stated, «The new crater is about 10 meters in diameter.
Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor.»
While lunar missions occasionally meet with failure, the Luna-25 crash signifies the waning influence of Russia's space prowess since its heyday during the Cold War era. Back then, Moscow achieved significant milestones, including the launch of the first-ever Earth-orbiting satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957, and Yuri Gagarin's historic journey as the first human in space in 1961.
However, this recent mishap highlights the nation's decline in space exploration capabilities.
The investigation into the Luna-25 crash aims to shed light on the specific reasons behind the mission's unfortunate fate. Despite this setback, the global space community continues to strive for
