NASA spacecraft near moon finds likely crash site of Russia’s lost lunar lander

A NASA spacecraft orbiting the moon has found the likely crash site Russia’s Lost Lunar Lander.

The Luna 25 lander banged into the moon Last month, Russia’s first lunar mission in nearly half a century ended harshly.

Based on observations by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA said Thursday that the impact appears to have created a crater 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter.

This fresh crater is about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the spacecraft’s planned landing site at the lunar south pole and further north.

In images taken during a flyover last year, NASA’s spacecraft found no evidence of a crater at this location.

It is located on the steep inner rim of an old and much larger crater.

The Luna 25 lander crashed into the moon last month, a harsh end to Russia's first lunar mission in nearly half a century. — The Luna 25 lander crashed into the moon last month, a harsh end to Russia’s first lunar mission in nearly half a century.

This fresh crater is about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the spacecraft's planned landing site at the lunar south pole and further north. — This fresh crater is about 250 miles (400 kilometers) from the spacecraft’s planned landing site at the lunar south pole and further north.

Because the newly discovered crater is near where scientists believe Russia’s lunar module crashed, “it’s likely that it came from that mission and not a natural impactor,” NASA said in a statement.

Meanwhile, India’s rover is exploring the moon’s south polar region, having successfully landed days after Russia’s failure.

India was only the fourth country to land on the moon.

JACLYN DIAZ3 weeks ago