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Russia's Luna-25 Probe Experiences 'Abnormal Situation' In Preparation For Moon Landing

By RFE/RL August 19, 2023

An "abnormal situation" has been detected during a maneuver by Russia's Luna-25 probe prior to its moon landing, the Russian space agency said on August 19.

"At 2:10 p.m., thrust was released to transfer the probe onto the pre-landing orbit. During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters," Roskosmos said.

The agency added that specialists were analyzing the situation. No further details were given. Touchdown on the moon was scheduled for August 21. It is unclear whether the probe can keep this schedule.

Roskosmos said earlier it had received the first results from the Luna-25 mission and that they were being analyzed.

The agency also posted images of the moon's Zeeman crater taken from the spacecraft. The crater is the third deepest in the moon's southern hemisphere, measuring 190 kilometers in diameter and 8 kilometers in depth, according to Roskosmos.

Roskosmos said data it had received so far from the probe had provided information about the chemical elements in the lunar soil and would also facilitate the operation of devices designed to study the near-surface of the moon.

The Luna-25 entered the moon's orbit on August 16, becoming the first Russian spacecraft to do so since 1976. Russia aims to establish a space station on the moon by 2040.

The Russian spacecraft is part of a race to explore a part of the moon that scientists think may hold frozen water and precious elements. The presence of water has the potential to allow longer human stays on the moon that would enable the mining of lunar resources.

The probe's mission is to operate for a year on the south pole, where scientists at NASA and other space agencies in recent years have detected traces of frozen water in the craters.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-luna-25- probe-abnormal-situation-moon-landing/32555348.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.