Shruti Suman
Russia’s aspirations for lunar exploration suffered a setback when the Luna-25 spacecraft, the country’s inaugural Moon mission in almost fifty years, experienced a crash on the lunar surface during its pre-landing maneuvers. Shortly thereafter, one of the prominent physicists and astronomers who had been involved in the mission was urgently admitted to a hospital in Moscow.
According to reports from The Independent, Mikhail Marov, aged 90, was transported to the hospital on Saturday due to a rapid deterioration in his health following the mission’s failure.
Speaking to the news outlet RBC and the newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets, the astronomer conveyed that the failure had taken a severe toll on his well-being. He stated, “I’m currently under observation. It’s hard not to feel concerned; this is largely a matter of life. The situation is extremely challenging,” addressing reporters at the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow, near the Kremlin.
Marov had been engaged in prior space missions during the Soviet Union era and regarded the Luna-25 mission as the pinnacle of his life’s work. He expressed his sadness over the inability to successfully land the spacecraft, stating, “It’s disheartening that we couldn’t achieve a successful landing. For me, it might have been the final hope to witness the resurgence of our lunar program.”
He also emphasized his hope that a thorough examination and discussion of the crash’s causes would take place.
With the Luna-25 endeavor, Moscow had aimed to build upon the legacy of its Luna program from the Soviet era, marking a renewed focus on independent lunar exploration amidst increasing isolation from Western countries. However, on the subsequent Sunday, Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, confirmed the abrupt loss of communication with the Luna-25 spacecraft, leaving significant uncertainty in its wake.
In a statement, Roscosmos explained, “The spacecraft entered an unpredictable orbit and ceased to function as a result of colliding with the lunar surface.” Additionally, the agency announced its intention to launch an official investigation into the causes of the crash. It refrained from disclosing specific technical issues that could have contributed to the unfortunate outcome.
