Russia’s Attempt to Return to the Moon Ends in Failure
Russia’s ambition to return to the moon has suffered a setback with the failure of the Luna-25 probe, shedding light on the numerous challenges faced by the country’s space program. The failed mission is indicative of ongoing problems within Russia’s space industry, including the loss of essential technologies after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Western sanctions, brain drain, and corruption.
Yuri Borisov, the head of Roscosmos, attributed the failure to a lack of expertise resulting from the extended break in lunar research since the last Soviet mission in 1976. Despite successful robotic missions in the past, the Soviet lunar program ultimately lost the race to the United States to land humans on the moon.
The Luna-25 probe was destroyed as a result of a thruster firing for longer than planned, causing it to crash. A government commission has been established to investigate the glitch. Although signs of equipment problems were evident prior to the crash, space officials authorized the landing.
Speculation has arisen that the rush to beat an Indian spacecraft to the lunar south pole may have contributed to the failure. The lunar south pole is of great interest to scientists due to the potential presence of frozen water in the craters.
Western sanctions have further exacerbated Russia’s space woes, obstructing the import of vital components and restricting scientific exchanges. The European Space Agency suspended its partnership with Roscosmos following the invasion of Ukraine, negatively impacting the Luna-25 project.
Russia’s history of using substandard components has previously resulted in mission failures, such as the ambitious 2011 probe to Mars’ moon Phobos. The Luna-25 failure raises concerns about the utilization of cheap components and possible embezzlement schemes.
While Russian state television attempted to downplay the loss of the spacecraft, emphasizing the data and pictures sent back from orbit, the failure has raised doubts regarding the country’s technological prowess and dents its prestige. This comes at a time when Russia is already facing international criticism for military blunders in Ukraine.
Despite the setback, Roscosmos remains determined to continue lunar missions, with the next one scheduled for 2027. The failure could potentially impact the future of Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov, although it remains uncertain whether he will be dismissed. The previous chief, Dmitry Rogozin, oversaw a series of failed satellite launches, resulting in a decline in Russia’s global space launch market share.
Ultimately, the Luna-25 failure highlights the challenges faced by Russia’s space program and raises questions about its ability to compete on the global stage in terms of technological advancements.
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