Russia’s moon-bound Luna-25 spacecraft, launched earlier this month, encountered an “abnormal situation,” as reported by the country’s space agency, Roscosmos. The incident took place during an attempt to enter a pre-landing orbit, and specialists are currently analyzing the situation, Roscosmos stated on Saturday via a Telegram post.
During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred with the automatic station, which prevented Roscosmos from executing the maneuver according to the specified parameters. The agency did not clarify whether this incident would hinder Luna-25’s landing plans.
The spacecraft is scheduled to touch down on the moon’s south pole on Monday, aiming to outpace an Indian spacecraft in reaching Earth’s satellite. Scientists hold a particular fascination with the lunar south pole, as they suspect perpetually shadowed polar craters could contain water. Future explorers might be able to convert this frozen water into air and rocket fuel.
Initial Findings
Coincidentally, on the same day, the Russian spacecraft provided its initial findings. While Roscosmos noted that experts were analyzing the data, the agency disclosed that they had collected preliminary information about the chemical composition of lunar soil. The agency’s equipment also detected a “micrometeorite impact.”
Roscosmos posted images of the Zeeman crater, situated in the moon’s southern hemisphere and ranking as its third-largest crater. These images provide insights from the spacecraft’s perspective. The crater boasts a diameter of 190km (118 miles) and a depth of 8km (five miles).
The Luna-25 craft, launched on August 10 from Russia‘s Vostochny spaceport, marked the country’s first lunar endeavor since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. The Russian lunar lander’s anticipated arrival on the moon, scheduled for August 21-23, aligns with the timing of an Indian craft launched on July 14.
Among governments, only the Soviet Union, the US, and China have achieved successful moon landings. Russia and India now aim to be the pioneers in landing at the moon’s southern pole.
Roscosmos seeks to demonstrate Russia’s capability to deliver payloads to the moon, despite sanctions stemming from its Ukraine invasion. These sanctions have hindered the country’s access to Western technology, impacting its space program. Initially designed to include a moon rover, the Luna-25 was altered to enhance craft reliability by reducing weight, according to analysts.