The Kremlin stated that the recent failure of Russia’s Luna-25 mission to the moon was “nothing terrible” and that their focus is for Russia’s space exploration program to continue.
After an unsuccessful orbital manoeuvre on August 19, Luna-25, Russia’s first lunar mission since 1976, crashed onto the moon, dealing with what has been viewed as a significant setback to the Russian space programme overseas.
A few days later, an Indian spacecraft made a successful landing on the lunar south pole, making their country the fourth to do it.
The goal of the Luna-25 mission was to revive Russian lunar exploration in the face of economic hardship, corruption allegations, and growing isolation from the West, Reuters reported.
The mission’s failure has sparked concerns about the condition of Russia’s space programme, which has been beset by problems ever since the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991.
The Kremlin’s response, however, reveals a determination to move further in the international space competition despite this setback.
In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “This is not a reason to despair, nor to tear our hair out. This is another reason to analyse the causes (of the failure) and eliminate them next time.”
As the Kremlin’s space goals remain unaffected by the mission’s failure, Russia remains dedicated to its lunar programme and has ambitious intentions to build a facility there by 2040.
“The main thing is not to stop. Our plans are quite ambitious and they will be implemented further,” Peskov said.
The Luna-25 mission was one of several proposed lunar probes that were designed to study the lunar atmosphere and test equipment for moon landings in the future.
