Russia’s Luna 25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon

Enlarge / A photograph of the Luna 25 mission released by Roscosmos on August 16, 2023. (credit: Roscosmos)

Sunday 8:15 am ET update: Russian space officials have confirmed the loss of the Luna 25 spacecraft on the Telegram social media network. The failure occurred during a burn of the vehicle's propulsion system to move it into a "pre-landing" orbit on Saturday morning. However, due to an unspecified problem the propulsion system instead sent the vehicle crashing into the lunar surface.

This is a stunning loss for the Russian space program given that it is the country's first attempt to return to the Moon since a 1976 robotic mission by the Soviet Union. Roscosmos, the Russian space corporation, said an "interdepartmental commission" will be formed to study the mishap.

Original post: In a terse update posted on the social media network Telegram Saturday, the Russian space corporation Roscosmos said that an "emergency situation" had occurred on board its Luna 25 spacecraft.