Luna-25 Lander Misses Pre-Landing Orbit of Moon in Russia
The Luna-25, Russia’s first lunar lander in almost half a century, failed to achieve its intended pre-landing orbit around the moon.
The robotic spaceship was supposed to enter orbit on Saturday, but due to an emergency situation, control failed, says the Russian space company Roscosmos. The team is analyzing the situation, it said without elaborating.
Russia launched the craft last week, joining the competition with NASA and other space agencies. It is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole on August 21, Roscosmos said earlier. It’s not immediately clear if the plan is still in place.
The South Pole of the Moon is a highly sought-after destination by spacefaring nations, including the United States and China. India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is orbiting the moon and is likely to attempt a landing near the pole this week.
