The Russian space agency Roscosmos on Sunday said that a preliminary analysis of Luna 25 mission issue suggests that a deviation between the actual and calculated parameters of the propulsion manoeuvre led to the spacecraft transitioning into an unintended orbit, resulting in its collision with the lunar surface and subsequent loss.
Earlier on Saturday, the spacecraft witnessed an abnormal situation after a command was issued for it to enter its pre-landing orbit.
“The measures taken on August 19 and 20 to search for the device and get into contact with it did not produce any results. According to the results of the preliminary analysis, due to the deviation of the actual parameters of the impulse from the calculated ones, the device switched to an off-design orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the lunar surface,” the Russian space agency said.
A specially formed interdepartmental commission will deal with the issues of clarifying the reasons for the loss of the Moon, it added.
The Russian space agency had launched its moon mission Luna 25 for the lunar south pole on August 11. It was scheduled to attempt a soft landing on Moon on August 21, notably ahead of India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.
