Russia’s Luna-25 mission, its first moon exploration in nearly five decades, ended in a crash that left a significant mark on the lunar surface. According to NASA, images captured by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) reveal a crater approximately 10 meters in diameter. This crater is believed to be the impact site of Luna-25, which failed on August 19 due to issues with its soft landing preparations. The crash highlights the waning influence of Russia’s space program, once a formidable force during the Cold War era, when Moscow achieved milestones like launching the first satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957, and sending Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961 as the first human astronaut. Moscow has initiated an investigation to determine the causes behind the Luna-25’s loss.
