Russia's space agency head vows to continue Moon race
by AFP Staff Writers
Moscow (AFP) Aug 21, 2023
The chief of the Russian space agency Roscosmos on Monday advocated for Russia to stay in the lunar race, a day after announcing its mission had crashed.
"In no case should the lunar program be interrupted, that would be the worst decision," Yuri Borisov said in an interview on television.
The Luna-25 mission was meant to mark Moscow's return to independent Moon exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals and growing isolation from the West.
But on Sunday, Roscosmos announced the probe had crashed during pre-landing manoeuvres.
"Interrupting the lunar program for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failure" of Luna-25, Borisov said.
"The invaluable experience that our predecessors accumulated in the 1960s and 1970s was practically lost" during the interruption of the programme, he added.
Borisov explained the crash was due to an issue with the spacecraft's correction engine.
The engine supposed to put the spacecraft into pre-landing orbit "worked for 127 instead of the planned 84 seconds. This was the main cause of the probe's crash," Borisov explained.
A special commission has begun looking into the exact causes of the incident, Borisov also said.
Moscow last landed a probe -- Luna-24 -- on the Moon in 1976, before shifting away from lunar exploration in favour of missions to Venus and building the Mir space station.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Defense Industry Analyst: 8 Stock Market Analyst: 6 General Industry Analyst: 6 Analyst Summary
:
The chief of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Yuri Borisov, has vowed to continue Russia’s lunar race in spite of the recent crash of the Luna 25 mission. Borisov attributed the crash to an issue with the spacecraft’s correction engine, which worked for more than the planned amount of time, and has since initiated a special commission to look into the exact causes of the incident. The failed mission represented Moscow’s effort to return to independent Moon exploration in the past 25 years, during which the invaluable experience of its predecessors from the 1960s and 1970s had been lost. This incident highlights the current challenges Russia faces as it strives to compete with other nations in the space and defense industry, which have seen significant advancements in recent years.
Investigative
Question:
- 1. What are the financial costs associated with continuing Russia’s lunar race?
- 2. How does the Luna 25 crash compare to other failed missions from other countries?
- 3.
What other technologies need to be developed in order for Russia to remain competitive in the space and defense industry?4. What are the implications of a successful mission for Russia’s future space exploration efforts?
5. What international collaborations could be beneficial in furthering Russia’s lunar race?
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