2023-09-04 04:00:16
On August 19, Russia’s Luna 25 probe crashed into the Moon, probably creating a crater about ten meters in diameter. This new impact was confirmed by NASA images. Four days later, India managed to land near the South Pole lunar, marking a stark contrast between the two missions. Image: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University
Initially, the Luna 25 probe was scheduled to land near the Moon’s south pole on August 25. Its purpose was to help researchers find water ice, examine lunar rocks, and analyze theenvironment. However, on August 19, thespace agency Russian announced that the communication with the device has been interrupted.
The next day, officials confirmed that Luna 25 had ceased to exist following a collision with the surface lunar. The Russian government has formed a commission to investigate the causes of this failure.
New NASA images show that the impact took place on the inner rim of the Pontecoulant G crater, located about 400 kilometers of sound point d’landing foreseen. These images were captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from NASA. Despite this failure, Russia plans to accelerate its future lunar missions, including Luna 26 and Luna 27.
In contrast, India managed to land near the south pole of the Moon on August 23 with its Chandrayaan 3 probe. Clive Neal, professor of geology planetary at theUniversité of Notre Dame, pointed out that India now has the ability to soft-land on the Moon, a skill that Russia seems to have lost, at least temporarily.
The Indian probe has already confirmed the presence of sulfur and other elements near the lunar south pole. These discoveries could help provide water for astronauts on future missions.
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