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Russia's first lunar mission in 47 years smashes into the moon in failure

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Summary

Russia's first lunar mission in 47 years, Luna-25, failed when it spun out of control and crashed into the moon. The mission was seen as a chance for Russia to reclaim its space prestige, but the failure underscores the decline of its space power since the glory days of the Cold War. It comes as Russia's economy faces external pressure due to sanctions and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon's south pole this week, while the US and China both have advanced lunar ambitions. A special commission has been formed to investigate the reasons behind the failure of Luna-25.

Q&As

What was Russia's first moon mission in 47 years?
Russia's first moon mission in 47 years was Luna-25.

What happened to the Luna-25 spacecraft?
The Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit.

How has the decline of Russia's space power been demonstrated?
The decline of Russia's space power has been demonstrated by the failure of the Luna-25 mission, which was Russia's first moon mission in 47 years, and by the lack of coverage of the mission by Russian state television.

What is the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) plan to land on the Moon?
The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) plan to land on the Moon is Chandrayaan-3, which is scheduled to land on the moon's south pole this week.

What did Soviet physicist and astronomer Mikhail Marov say about the failed Luna-25 mission?
Soviet physicist and astronomer Mikhail Marov said that the failed Luna-25 mission was his last hope to see a revival of Russia's lunar program, and that he hoped the reasons behind the crash would be discussed and examined rigorously.

AI Comments

👍 Russia's efforts to revive their lunar program with the Luna-25 mission are admirable, and their dedication to rigorous investigation of the cause of failure is encouraging.

👎 Russia's lack of success in their space program is a blow to their national prestige, and their failure highlights their post-Soviet decline.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about Russia's first lunar mission in 47 years ending in failure. The Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit.

Friend: Wow, that's really unfortunate. What are the implications of this failure?

Me: The failure underscores the decline of Russia's space power since the glory days of Cold War competition. It also comes as Russia's economy faces its biggest external challenge for decades with Western sanctions and the land war in Europe. Additionally, this failure could impact Russia's moon mission program which envisaged several more missions over coming years, including a possible joint effort with China. Lastly, the failure has been a huge blow to Russian space prestige.

Action items

Research the history of Russia's space program and the current state of the industry.
Follow the progress of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission and other lunar missions from other countries.
Analyze the impact of the Luna-25 failure on Russia's space program and its economy.

Technical terms

Sputnik 1: The first artificial satellite to be launched into Earth's orbit, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.
Yuri Gagarin: The first human to travel into space, a Soviet cosmonaut who launched in 1961.
Cold War: A period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies from 1945 to 1991.
Chandrayaan-3: India's third lunar mission, scheduled to land on the moon's south pole in 2023.
Luna-25: Russia's first moon mission in 47 years, which failed when its space craft spun out of control and crashed into the moon.
Fobos-Grunt: A failed 2011 Russian mission to one of the moons of Mars.
ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation.
Zeeman crater: A crater located on the far side of the moon.