Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

During preparations for descent to the surface, Russia’s Luna-25 Moon lander experienced an anomaly that caused it to impact into the southwest rim of Pontécoulant G crater on Aug. 19, 2023, at 7:58 a.m. EDT (11:58 a.m. UTC).
Image credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

The lunar leftovers of Russia’s failed Luna-25 robotic craft have likely been spotted by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

Before and after imagery of the suspected Luna 25 impact site taken by LRO’s powerful LROC imaging system show landscape disturbance at the southwest rim of Pontécoulant G crater. The kicked-up terrain from the impact is roughly 250 miles (400 kilometers) short of Luna 25’s intended landing point.

Before and after images of Luna-25 impact site (click to activate). This GIF alternates between LRO views from June 27, 2020, and Aug. 24, 2023 – before and after the appearance of a new impact crater likely from Russia’s Luna 25 mission.
Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

“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,” according to a NASA statement.

The fresh crater is about 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. The impact point was on the steep (greater than 20-degree grade) inner rim of Pontécoulant G crater.

Image credit: Roscosmos/IKI/NPO Lavochkin

Off-design orbit

During the descent to the surface, the Russian spacecraft Luna 25 experienced an anomaly that caused it to impact.

As noted by Russia’s Roscosmos, in accordance with the flight program of Luna-25, on August 19 it was planned to issue an impulse to form its pre-landing elliptical orbit.

Russian mishap group is deciphering why Luna-25 mission failed.
Image credit: Roscosmos

However, “due to the deviation of the actual pulse parameters from the calculated ones, the automatic station switched to an off-design orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” Roscosmos stated. Attempts on August 19-20 to regain contact with Luna-25 “did not produce any results.”

A specially formed interdepartmental commission has been established to identify the reasons for the loss of Luna-25.

Launched on June 18, 2009, NASA’s LRO is managed by the space agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland for the Science Mission Directorate at the agency’s Headquarters in Washington, D.C. LRO continues to collect a treasure trove of data, operated under the guidance of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.

Artwork depicts NASA’s venerable Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), on-duty since swinging into orbit around the Moon on June 23, 2009.
Image credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center