The Washington PostThe Washington Post

Russia says Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the moon's surface

By Lyric Li and Adela Suliman

20 Aug 2023 · 2 min read

informed Summary

  1. Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft, the country's first lunar mission in nearly 50 years, has crashed into the moon, according to the Russian space agency. The agency lost contact with the unmanned spacecraft and preliminary analysis suggests it collided with the lunar surface.

Russia's space agency said Sunday that its Luna-25 spacecraft - its first lunar mission in almost half a century - crashed into the moon.

Roscosmos earlier reported an "emergency" as it was trying to enter pre-landing orbit ahead of a planned Monday moon landing. After Roscosmos lost contact with the unmanned spacecraft, and efforts to locate it failed, the agency added that a preliminary analysis determined that it "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface" and that an interdepartmental commission will investigate the cause.

Sign in to informed

  • Curated articles from premium publishers, ad-free
  • Concise Daily Briefs with quick-read summaries
  • Read, listen, save for later, or enjoy offline
  • Enjoy personalized content
Or

LoginForm.agreeToTerms