Current:Home > BackA Russian spacecraft crashed on the moon last month. NASA says it's discovered where.-VaTradeCoin
A Russian spacecraft crashed on the moon last month. NASA says it's discovered where.
View Date:2025-01-07 14:02:25
NASA has released images showing where it believes Russia's failed Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the surface of the moon two weeks ago.
NASA said its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) operations team used estimates of the impact point published by Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, on Aug. 21, two days after the crash. The team then sent instructions to the LRO spacecraft to capture images of the area, which it did last week.
When the LRO team compared the new images to ones that were taken before the impact, in June 2022, they found a new crater.
MORE: New York to London in 90 minutes? NASA exploring passenger jet that could do it
"Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor," the agency wrote in a statement.
The new crater is nearly 33 feet wide and is located at about 58 degrees south latitude, on the southwest rim of the moon's Pontécoulant G impact crater, created millions of years ago, according to NASA.
The Luna-25 impact crater is a little more than 200 miles from where the spacecraft had planned to land, which was at near 70 degrees south latitude.
Russia launched the Luna-25 mission on Aug. 10 in an attempt to return to the moon for the first time since 1976 and intended to land in the lunar south polar region, an area that has been largely unexplored and is believed to contain frozen water. However, Russia's space agency lost contact with the spacecraft, and it crashed on Aug. 19 at 7:58 a.m. ET, two days before its scheduled landing.
Four days later, India became the fourth country to successfully land on the moon after its Chandrayaan-3 craft touched down in the south polar region, where it was scheduled to remain for two weeks, conducting experiments and gathering data.
MORE: NASA asks for help studying Uranus and Neptune as it prepares to capture new images
The moon is covered with impact craters from asteroids and comets striking the lunar surface, according to the Lunar Planetary Institute. Scientists measure the size and the number of craters in an area to determine their age, which can be as old as three billion years.
While Earth has had its share of impacts from space rocks, those craters are harder to recognize due to weather and the erosion of the Earth's surface. Because the moon lacks tectonic activity and flowing water, and its atmosphere is negligible, most lunar surface craters are still visible, the LPI said.
veryGood! (4)
Related
- Trump on Day 1: Begin deportation push, pardon Jan. 6 rioters and make his criminal cases vanish
- Longtime voice of Nintendo's Mario character is calling it quits
- Ozempic seems to curb cravings for alcohol. Here's what scientists think is going on
- Many big US cities now answer mental health crisis calls with civilian teams -- not police
- NFL power rankings Week 11: Steelers, Eagles enjoying stealthy rises
- How Simone Biles captured her record eighth national title at US gymnastics championships
- 3 killed in racially-motivated shooting at Dollar General store in Jacksonville, sheriff says
- White shooter kills 3 Black people in Florida hate crime as Washington celebrates King’s dream
- Miami Marlins hiring Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as manager
- Orioles place All-Star closer Félix Bautista on injured list with elbow injury
Ranking
- Residents urged to shelter in place after apparent explosion at Louisville business
- Shakira to Receive Video Vanguard Award at 2023 MTV VMAs
- Game show icon Bob Barker, tanned and charming host of 'The Price is Right,' dies at 99
- Powell says Fed could raise interest rates further if economy, job market don't cool
- 3 Iraqis tortured at Abu Ghraib win $42M judgement against defense contractor
- Taylor Swift Shows Support for BFF Selena Gomez in the Sweetest Way After Single Soon Release
- To stop wildfires, residents in some Greek suburbs put their own money toward early warning drones
- 3 people are injured, 1 critically, in a US military aircraft crash in Australia, officials say
Recommendation
-
Eva Longoria Shares She and Her Family Have Moved Out of the United States
-
Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to become a hurricane and move toward Florida, forecasters say
-
An ode to Harvey Milk for Smithsonian Folkways' 75th birthday
-
Heineken sells its Russia operations for 1 euro
-
Brianna LaPaglia Addresses Zach Bryan's Deafening Silence After Emotional Abuse Allegations
-
Texans vs. Saints: How to watch Sunday's NFL preseason clash
-
Trump campaign reports raising more than $7 million after Georgia booking
-
'Serious risk': Tropical Storm Idalia could slam Florida as a 'major' hurricane: Updates