The unsuccessful landing has raised doubts among experts about Russia’s Moon exploration program and potential political motivations behind modern space exploration endeavors.
The Luna 25 spacecraft took off on a Soyuz rocket on August 10th. Photo: AP
Luna 25 lost contact with Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, on August 19. On August 20, Russia announced that the spacecraft had ceased functioning. Initially, reports from Roscosmos Director Yury Borisov suggested issues with the vehicle’s engine. The spacecraft’s engine did not perform as expected during Luna 25’s orbit adjustment before landing. This setback deals a significant blow to Roscosmos’ ambitions. Russia is seeking to prove that its space program, which has faced numerous challenges, can still achieve impressive milestones in the 21st-century space race.
Under the Soviet Union, Russia successfully landed seven spacecraft on the Moon’s surface, including the gentle landing of the first in 1966. Borisov acknowledges that replicating the Soviet-era successes won’t be easy. “Essentially, we need to master all the technology again, of course, at a new technical level,” Borisov shared in an interview on August 22.
Borisov assured that Roscosmos is on the right track. The Russian space agency will accelerate the next two Moon missions, Luna 26 and Luna 27, which could provide Roscosmos with scientific data that Luna 25’s failure prevented. However, experts are skeptical about whether the Russian government has the capacity or the will to turn this into a reality, particularly when the country is facing multiple sanctions over the conflict in Ukraine, and Roscosmos seems to have lost importance in the eyes of the Kremlin.
“Even if Russia continues the Luna program, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything at this point. The question is, can they continue, and do they have the capability to continue?” emphasized Robert Pearson, co-founder of the Space Diplomacy Lab at Duke University. According to him, the consequences of this failure raise doubts about Russia’s seriousness in the space race.
Russia’s lunar landing failure comes amid various lunar exploration efforts by countries that aren’t space superpowers. Luna 25’s mission occurred concurrently with India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar spacecraft, which is expected to land on the Moon tonight. Dozens of other countries have plans for lunar missions in the coming years, including the United States with the Artemis III program, set to take astronauts to the Moon in 2025.
“Space exploration costs have come down. It’s still not cheap, but it’s become more affordable, and I think that’s why many countries are trying harder,” said Victoria Samson, Washington office director of the nonprofit Secure World Foundation, which promotes peaceful space exploration.
While Luna 25’s failure is a significant setback for Russia’s space ambitions, landing a spacecraft on the Moon remains immensely challenging. India’s most recent mission, Chandrayaan-2, also faced a failure. Two commercial spacecraft also crashed on the Moon in 2019. However, experts may have different expectations for Russia because of its Soviet-era experience. If India successfully lands a spacecraft on the Moon, it could challenge Russia’s prestige, influence, and technological capabilities.
In recent years, Roscosmos has faced challenges such as budgetary issues, quality control management, and corruption. The space agency has also experienced isolation from Western countries since Russia’s conflict in Ukraine in February 2022. For example, the European Space Agency (ESA) initially planned to cooperate with Roscosmos on the Luna 25 mission and other lunar exploration endeavors but withdrew its collaboration after the conflict erupted.
Currently, questions surround China’s response to Luna 25’s failure, as it is Russia’s closest space partner. Both nations have announced their collaboration on the International Lunar Research Station project to compete with NASA and its Artemis program. China is also the only country to have successfully landed a spacecraft on the Moon in the 21st century.
Luna 25 was scheduled to land in the Moon’s south pole region. This area is where India intends to place its Chandrayaan-3 lander and NASA plans to send astronauts and robot missions in the future. Interest in the Moon’s south pole stems from the potential presence of water. Scientists believe there is a significant amount of water ice hidden near the south pole, trapped in shaded craters. This valuable resource could provide fuel for deep space missions or transform into drinking water for long-term astronaut stays.
Due to the difficulty of reaching it via orbital mechanics, the Moon’s south pole remains largely unexplored. However, Pearson is skeptical about Russia’s decision to attempt a direct landing at the south pole for its first Moon mission in nearly 50 years. “All they needed to do was land somewhere on the Moon and show the world they were in the race. In my view, they chose a bold solution instead of possibly a safer one,” Pearson commented.
Which nation reaches the Moon and when will impact how scientists use the collected data. For instance, India has signed the Artemis Accords with NASA, committing to lunar exploration regulations and agreeing to share scientific data.
(Source: CNN)