The unmanned craft was due to make a soft landing on the Moon's south pole, but failed after encountering issues as it moved into its pre-landing orbit.

It was Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years.

The spacecraft was scheduled to land on Monday to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements.

Roskosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said it lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after running into difficulties.

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[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Last attempt to pass on the knowledge before the Luna 24 people are gone - it landed 18 August 1976.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

Do you know the background for this? What do they want to achieve now that they didn't in '76?

I get that it's a space race between Russia and India, but surely there must be more to it. Is it just the prestige of landing on the south pole?

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 year ago

This was just to make headlines and demonstrate the greatness of glorious Mother Russia. Unsurprisingly it didn't quite work out like that.

[–] Agamemnon 13 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not really a race (media just likes to frame it that way)

Main goal is prospecting for potential base locations, because the poles have the best chances of finding easily accessible water ice.

And yeah, prestige too, because landing from polar orbit is more difficult.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Holy shit - somehow I had either missed or forgotten that they found ice on the moon.

That explains it, thanks!!

[–] JimmyMcGill 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Why is it harder to land in the poles? I’m not doubting you, just curious

[–] Agamemnon 16 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Mainly, because the poles are always just barely within line of sight to Earth (and thus line of communications) if at all. So the probe has to either operate autonomously or you have to maintain coms via a relay satellite. Either isn't exactly easy with hardware that must also be radiation-hardened and lightweight. Initiating the deorbit burn should (I am guessing this) be done from the backside or you'll run into even more problems when you overshoot the landing site.

[–] JimmyMcGill 5 points 1 year ago

Thanks for sharing. That all makes sense.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

My unsubstantiated speculation is that it's because of exactly what who you're replying to said. It's been a number of years since roscosmos has had a successful mission to another celestial body, so I think this was supposed to be a verification that they still had this capability to enable a lunar base program (as another reply mentioned).

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago

Yes, it seems likely this is an element as well - and if that's the motivation performing an uncontrolled landing must sting a bit extra, even if they were aiming to pull off something more challenging than in '76.

[–] severien 2 points 1 year ago

There was a lot of development in those almost 50 years. I guess the instruments are better, the drilling equipment better...

IIRC Luna 24 found some traces of water, and poles are often prime suspects to find water in higher quantities ...