A long time ago, or well, around 50 years ago, Russia used to send missions to the Moon quite frequently. It was like their weekend hobby. Then they took a long break (maybe to binge-watch some space series, who knows?).

Finally, they decided to go back with the Luna-25 probe.

Moon Mishap Madness!

• All was going well, but then, out of the blue, the Luna-25 decided to hug the Moon a bit too hard. Boom! It crashed! And just like when you can’t find your toy and your parents say, “It’s probably in the house somewhere,” Roscosmos – Russia’s space agency – lost contact with it.
• There were a few whispers that maybe, just maybe, some of Russia’s earthly problems, like their squabbles with Ukraine and the big timeouts (sanctions) given by other countries, might have played a part in this crash. Oh, and apparently, some key electronic bits could have been affected because of these timeouts.
• With Luna-25, Russia wanted to remember the good old times when they were Moon regulars. They wanted to do their own thing, especially with so many space party poopers from the West. And while we’re strolling down this lane, they hadn’t tried to land on anything in space since 1989! The last time they tried, their computer decided to take an unexpected nap.
• Even the big boss of Roscosmos had told their President that the Luna-25 mission was like trying to stack a deck of cards on a windy day – there was a 70% chance it might work.
• The Moon is becoming crowded. Think of it as the new hot playground where everyone wants to swing. India and China are there, and even the USA is tying its space shoes for a lunar jog. Just this month, India’s Chandrayaan-3 said, “Hello Moon!” aiming to land at the south pole – the cool kid’s corner of the Moon.
• Now, here’s a little space trivia for your next cosmic dinner party: Only three countries have ever parked their vehicles on the Moon without making them go kaboom – Russia, USA, and China. Russia’s last smooth parking job was way back in 1976!
• Some say that the recent challenges might make Russia think twice about their future space adventures. They had big dreams: grabbing some Moon dirt, peeking for water, and maybe, just maybe, setting up a little Moon camp. They even took some pretty cool Moon selfies with their onboard cameras before the crash!
• Space is hard. And while Luna-25 might not have gone as planned, the story reminds us of the ever-evolving drama of the cosmos. There are successes, hiccups, and lots of hope. As different nations aim for the stars (or the Moon, in this case), the universe waits, with popcorn in hand, ready for the next episode.