Russian Luna-25 Lander Fails To Reach Moon Per-Landing Orbit

The Luna-25, Russia’s first lunar lander in nearly 50 years, was unable to enter the moon’s pre-landing orbit.

According to a statement from the Russian space corporation Roscosmos, the robotic spacecraft was scheduled to enter orbit on Saturday, but owing to an emergency circumstance, the maneuver was unsuccessful.

“The team is analyzing the situation”, the Russian space agency stated, without providing any other information.

Russia launched the craft last week, joining NASA and other space agencies in a race. Luna-25 is planned to land on the moon’s south pole on August 21, 2023, according to Roscosmos.

It’s unclear whether the strategy is still in place.

The lunar south pole is a highly sought-after objective among space-faring nations, particularly the United States and China.

India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is orbiting the moon and will most likely attempt a landing near the pole this week.

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