A failed lunar mission dents Russian pride and reflects deeper problems with Moscow's space industry

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An ambitious but failed attempt by Russia to return to the moon after nearly half a century has exposed the massive challenges faced by Moscow’s once-proud space program.

Friction with Russia sparked by its invasion of Ukraine has seeped into space, exacerbating tensions over the rules of behavior there and halting negotiations over space weapons.While working on the Luna-25 project, Roscosmos partnered with the European Space Agency that was to provide a camera to facilitate the landing. The ESA halted the partnership soon after the February 2022 invasion and requested that Roscosmos remove its camera from the spacecraft.

Some observers speculated that using the cheaper components could have stemmed from a scheme to embezzle government funds rather than purchase specialized imported equipment for the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, which was designed by NPO Lavochkin, the same company that developed Luna-25. Russian state television had hailed Luna-25 as the country’s triumphant entry into a new moon race, but since the crash, the broadcasters have tried to play down the loss of the spacecraft. Some argued the mission wasn’t a complete failure because it sent back pictures of the lunar surface from orbit and other data.He insisted that taking part in lunar research “not only means prestige or achieving geopolitical goals, it is necessary to ensure defense capability and technological sovereignty.

Amid the finger pointing, some argued the failure could cost Borisov his job. Others predicted he probably would avoid dismissal, noting President Vladimir Putin’s record of avoiding quick ousters of officials in response to incidents. Rogozin was widely criticized for failing to root out endemic graft, including funds embezzled during the construction of the Vostochny cosmodrome in Russia’s Far East, which was used to launch the latest moon mission.

 

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