The Russian probe Luna-25 apparently crashed due to a malfunctioning engine. Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, said on Monday on Russian state television. A motor that was supposed to correct the position of the probe in the lunar orbit could not be switched off in time. Instead of the planned 84 seconds, he ran 127 seconds. “The accident happened because the engine worked for 43 unnecessary seconds,” said Borisov. “For this reason, the device moved into an open lunar orbit and then crashed to the surface of the moon.”
Luna-25 was launched on August 11 aboard a Soyuz rocket and should have touched down on the south pole of the moon on Monday to analyze soil samples and search for water. However, two days before the landing, Roscosmos reported problems with a maneuver in which the probe was supposed to swing into a new orbit in preparation for the landing. On Sunday, the probe crashed and smashed on the lunar surface.
The Russian moon program should be continued despite this setback, Borisov said on TV. “Under no circumstances should the lunar program be interrupted – that would be the worst decision.” Moscow wants to build its own space station on the moon by 2040. By 2030, Roskosmos has already planned three more missions to the moon. The work on them should now be accelerated. Luna-25 was Russia’s first lunar mission since the Soviet mission Luna-24 been in 1976. Despite the crash of the probe, important insights were gained from the flight, said Borisov.