- The chief of the Russian space agency Borisov went on to blame the country’s decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mission’s failure.
- A day after the ‘Luna 25’ had crashed, the chief of the agency vowed to “stay in the lunar race”.
- “Interrupting the lunar programme for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failure of Luna 25,” He said.
- Mikhail Marov, 90, was taken to the hospital on Saturday due to a sharp deterioration in his health following the failure of the mission.
- The astronomer told the news channel and the newspaper that the setback was so devastating it took a toll on his health.
A day after the Russian space agency Roscosmos announced its Moon mission ‘Luna 25’ had crashed, the chief of the agency vowed to “stay in the lunar race”. In an interview with a Russian TV channel, Yuri Borisov said, “In no case should the lunar programme be interrupted, that would be the worst decision,” reported news agency AFP. Borisov went on to blame the country’s decades-long pause in lunar exploration for the mission’s failure. “Interrupting the lunar programme for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failure of Luna 25,” he said.
The Roscosmos had launched its Moon mission Luna 25 for the lunar south pole on August 11 reviving Soviet Union-era lunar exploration missions. The mission aimed to study the composition of the lunar polar surface material and the plasma and dust components of the lunar polar exosphere was scheduled to attempt a soft landing on Moon on August 21, ahead of India’s Chandrayaan 3-moon mission.
However, on August 21, a preliminary analysis of the lunar mission suggested that a deviation between the actual and calculated parameters of the propulsion manoeuvre led to the spacecraft transitioning into an unintended orbit, resulting in its collision with the lunar surface and subsequent loss. A special commission has begun looking into the exact causes of the incident.
Russia’s lunar hopes were dashed as the Luna-25 probe, the country’s first Moon mission in nearly half a century, crashed on the lunar surface during pre-landing manoeuvres. Soon after, one of the leading physicists and astronomers who worked on the mission was rushed to a hospital in Moscow. According to the news agency, Mikhail Marov, 90, was taken to the hospital due to a sharp deterioration in his health following the failure of the mission.
The astronomer told the news channel and the newspaper that the setback was so devastating it took a toll on his health. The scientist had worked on previous space missions for the Soviet Union and called the Luna-25 mission the culmination of his life’s work. He told the newspaper that he hoped the reasons behind the crash would be discussed and examined rigorously.
With Luna-25, Moscow had hoped to build on the legacy of its Soviet-era Luna programme, marking a return to independent lunar exploration in the face of growing isolation from the West. However, Russian space agency Roscosmos confirmed that communication with Luna-25 was abruptly lost, leaving a trail of uncertainty.
(With inputs from agencies)
