The mission’s unfortunate end is a massive setback for Russia, which now faces almost unassailable competition not only from the likes of NASA, China’s CNSA, and Japan’s JAXA, but also from private players looking to explore the moon for commercial as well as government-backed missions. However, Luna-25 isn’t the end of Russia’s space ambitions, as multiple subsequent missions are planned in the years to come.
The Russian space agency was working in partnership with the European Space Agency on the Luna-27 mission to explore the south-polar region of the moon and retrieve surface samples. However, the ESA cut ties with Roscosmos and ended its participation in the planned lunar missions in April 2022 due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In late 2021, Roscosmos also joined hands with the China National Space Administration for lunar exploration missions in the future, which include “moon-based observation” and “long-term unmanned operation with the prospect of subsequent human presence.” But so far, the partnership hasn’t yielded any major success for Russia.
Meanwhile, China’s Chang’e 5 probe returned to Earth with lunar samples three years ago, and plans are already underway to test 3D printing to build an operation base on the moon, as well as to put a man on the lunar surface by 2030. All eyes are now fixed on India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission, which is already in lunar orbit and it is expected to make a soft landing on the moon on August 23.
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