The thrilling and ambitious attempt by Russia’s Luna-25 to conquer the Moon proved futile as it ended up crashing on the lunar surface. The failure marks a 47-year hiatus since the last landing by the former Soviet Union, leaving India’s Chandrayaan-3 in the lead to become the first spacecraft to land near the Lunar South Pole. This article delves into the intricacies of lunar landing missions, the challenges encountered, and the recent successes and failures that have shaped the narrative of lunar exploration.
The Luna-25 Mission: An Ambitious Return to the Moon
Initiated in 1996, the Luna 25 mission aimed to reestablish Russia’s accessibility to the Moon’s surface in an era of escalating space exploration and geopolitical competition. It marked Russia’s revived interest in lunar expeditions and determination to extend the Luna series. In a global effort for lunar research, Russia and China are leading the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), while the United States is piloting the Artemis Accords.
The Luna 25 mission, unfortunately, faced a technical snag pushing the craft beyond its operational limits. The failure is believed to be linked to an unsuccessful maneuver to alter its circular orbit. The excessive thrust during this operation led to a deviation in its trajectory, causing the spacecraft to crash on the Moon’s surface. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war contributed to the failure, restricting Russia’s access to foreign satellite tracking systems.
Complexities in Achieving a Successful Lunar Landing
The path to a successful lunar landing is fraught with complexities. A significant challenge is the descent from the lunar orbit to the Moon’s surface, often known as the “15 minutes of terror.” The spacecraft needs to accurately control its speed, trajectory, and altitude during this critical phase.
Despite numerous successful landings in historical space expeditions, the technology remains imperfect. Most successes were recorded between 1966 and 1976, with a handful of exceptions in the past decade. These landings were fraught with risk, achieving only a 50% success rate among 42 attempts.
Lunar landings also involve a sequence of controlled maneuvers, requiring precision propulsion systems to manage speed and altitude accurately. Extreme temperature variations on the Moon present another significant challenge, necessitating robust thermal protection and insulation to prevent equipment malfunctions.
Recent Failures and Successes in Lunar Landing Attempts
The journey to the Moon is marked by countless failures and a few notable successes. Several missions, including those from India, Israel, Japan, and Russia, have faced hurdles during the landing process, culminating in crashes on the lunar surface. However, China’s Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4, and Chang’e-5 missions stand out as successful lunar landings.
For instance, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2, despite reaching the Moon, couldn’t achieve desired speed levels due to malfunctions. Different kinds of malfunctions disrupted landing plans for Beresheet (Israel) and Hakuto-R (Japan).
Learning from Failures: The Way Forward
India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission is a testament to the importance of learning from past failures. Notwithstanding these setbacks, these ambitious endeavors symbolize the determination of space agencies to push boundaries and revolutionize lunar exploration. The insights gained from these attempts are instrumental in developing more reliable and successful lunar landing technologies for future missions.
