NASA Probe Spots Crashed Russian Moon Lander
A view of the suspected Luna 25 crash site.
NASA’s trusty Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured images revealing a fresh crater on the Moon’s surface. This crater is suspected to be the impact site of the ill-fated Luna 25 mission, Russia’s first lunar attempt in nearly five decades.
The descent of the Luna 25 lander began on Saturday, August 19, but the mission went sour, with the vehicle crashing into the southwest rim of the Pontécoulant G crater. The crash was recorded at 7:58 a.m. ET on August 21. As noted in a NASA statement released earlier today, the newly formed crater spans about 32.8 feet (10 meters) in width, as confirmed by LROC imagery.
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The Luna 25 mission, marking Russia’s return to lunar exploration after 47 years, ended abruptly with a loss of communication just before its crash. In contrast, India’s Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the Moon on August 23, making India the fourth nation to achieve this feat after the Soviet Union, the U.S., and China.
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