Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: Roscosmos/IKI/NPO Lavochkin

Russia’s Roscosmos has reported that Luna-25 has crashed into the Moon.

On August 19, the Moon-orbiting lunar lander adjusted its orbit prior to a landing attempt. However, communication with the Luna-25 spacecraft was interrupted.

Subsequent measures to search for the spacecraft and re-establish contact “did not produce any results,” Roscosmos noted in a Telegram communiqué.

Collision with lunar surface

“According to the results of the preliminary analysis, due to the deviation of the actual parameters of the impulse from the calculated ones, the device switched to an off-design orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” the statement added.

A specially-formed interdepartmental commission is being set up to help clarify the reasons for the loss of Luna-25 at the Moon, the terse Roscosmos statement concluded.

The implications of the Luna-25 failure were indicated in this earlier story posted on Multimedia’s SpaceRef — “Russia’s Return to the Moon: High Risk, High Stakes” at:

https://spaceref.com/science-and-exploration/russias-return-to-the-moon-with-luna-25-high-risk-high-stakes/

Pre-launch photo of Luna-25, now crash landed on the Moon.
Image credit: Roscosmos Television Video/Inside Outer Space screengrab