NASA releases photo of Luna-25 alleged crash site on Moon (PHOTOS)

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has photographed a new crater on the surface of the Moon, which is likely the site where the Russian Luna-25 module crashed several days ago.

NASA said that the last photo of this area was taken in June 2022, when this crater was not on the surface of the Earth's natural satellite. It appeared in an area close to the supposed collision site of the Russian Luna-25 probe with the Moon, so NASA concluded that this crater was most likely formed as a result of the impact itself.

This is the same place after the crash of Luna-25.

"The new crater is about 10 meters in diameter and is located at 57.865 degrees south latitude and 61.360 degrees east longitude at an elevation of about minus 360 meters. The impact point was on the steep (greater than 20-degree grade) inner rim of Pontécoulant G crater, about 400 kilometers short of Luna 25’s intended landing point at 69.545 degrees south, 43.544 degrees east," NASA said in a statement.

Luna-25 was launched on August 11 from the Vostochny Space Launch Center in Russia's Amur Region. It entered lunar orbit five days later. The module was supposed to land on the Moon between August 21 and 24, but on August 20, Russia's federal space agency  Roscosmos reported that the device had collided with the Moon and was destroyed. Roscosmos general director Yury Borisov said that the engine of Luna-25 was not turned off as normal during the last maneuver.

Luna-25 was part of the first phase of the Russian lunar program approved in 2018. The program includes the study of the Earth's satellite by means of automatic space stations. After the accident, however, Borisov announced that this lunar program cannot be interrupted. Thus, Roscosmos will consider the possibility of repeating this mission to the lunar south pole in 2025-2026. From the beginning, the launch of Luna-26 was also planned for 2027.