Russia’s Luna-25 module collides with Moon surface, contact with it is lost

The Russian Luna-25 module entered an uncalculated orbit and collided with the surface of the Moon, after which communication with it was interrupted, Russia's federal space agency  Roscosmos announced, the BBC Russian service reported.

Efforts to find the module were unsuccessful, and the mission is considered concluded. This was the first such mission in Russia's post-Soviet history. It was launched on August 11 from the Vostochny Space Launch Center.

"According to the results of the preliminary analysis, due to the deviation of the actual momentum parameters, the Luna-25 spacecraft entered an uncalculated orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon. A specially created interdepartmental commission will deal with finding out the reasons for the loss of the spaceship," says the respective statement released by Roscosmos.

Roscosmos general director Yury Borisov said that the soft landing of Luna-25 was supposed to take place on Monday.

Luna-25 is part of the Russian lunar program for the exploration and practical use of lunar and sublunar space by means of automatic interplanetary stations.

The station weighed 1.8 tons, and its complex of scientific equipment—31 kg. The scientific equipment was developed by the Russian Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Luna-25 was to be controlled from Earth.

Luna-25 was to engage in both purely scientific research and study the formation and evolution of the Moon, and practical research and study the possibilities of using the Moon's minerals in the future.

The main task of this mission was to develop soft landing technology near the lunar south pole to facilitate the work of future missions; this was to be done by the orbital part of the automatic probe.

Also, this device was to explore the surface of the lunar south pole region, including in order to search for water with the help of cryogenic drilling. In addition, Luna-25's instruments were to study the dust, micrometeorites, and radiation environment of the Moon's polar region.