The craft lost contact with Russia following the crash, Russian media reported.
An uncrewed Russian spacecraft spun out of control during orbit and crashed into the moon, according to the country’s space agency.
The Luna-25 craft lost contact with officials in Russia following the crash on Saturday, Roscosmos told Interfax, a Russian news agency.
A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 shows the Zeeman crater located on the far side of the moon, August 17, 2023.
Roscosmos via Reuters
“According to preliminary analysis, in light of deviation of the actual parameters from of the impulse from the estimated ones, the Luna-25 spacecraft entered an unplanned orbit and ceased to exist after colliding with the surface of the Moon,” Roscosmos said.
The craft on Saturday afternoon had entered an elliptical orbit in anticipation of landing on the moon’s surface, which had been part of the flight plan, Roscosmos said. At about 2:57 p.m. Moscow time, space agency staff lost contact, they told Interfax.
A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 during its flight to the moon shows the mission emblem and the bucket of the lunar manipulator complex, August 15, 2023.
Roscosmos via Reuters
“Measures to find the spacecraft and make contact with it taken on August 19 and 20 yielded no results,” the agency said.
The lunar lander had been expected to attempt a landing near the moon’s south pole as early as Monday, Russian media reported.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Tanya Stukalova contributed to this story.
