The failed landing attempt has experts questioning the future of the country’s lunar exploration ambitions and the geopolitical dynamics that underpin modern space exploration efforts. The spacecraft, Luna 25, lost contact with operators at Russia’s space agency, Roscosmos, on Saturday, August 19. Luna 25 was flying alongside India’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which will attempt to land on the moon as soon as Wednesday. “I’m sure China must be really wondering what they saddled themselves with” after the Luna 25 mission, Samson said. Why missions like Luna 25 matterThe Luna 25 spacecraft was intended to land on the moon’s south pole.

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Persons: CNN —, Roscosmos, Yury Borisov, ”, Victoria Samson, Borisov, Russia's Luna, Luna, Robert Pearson, Duke University’s, Pearson, “, haven’t, India’s Chandrayaan, Artemis III, ” Samson, “ It’s, it’s, India’s, Samson, ’ ”, Angela Marusiak, hasn’t, ” Pearson Organizations: CNN, Secure World Foundation, Soviet, Roscosmos, Space Corporation, Luna, U.S . Foreign Service, Diplomacy, European Space Agency, Lunar Research, US, NASA, SpaceX, University of Arizona’s, Laboratory Locations: Russian, Russia, Washington, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Turkey, United States, Europe, Russia’s, China, India, Artemis