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Russia’s first moon mission in 47 years failed when its Luna-25 spacecraft spun out of control and crashed into the moon after a problem preparing for pre-landing orbit, underscoring the post-Soviet decline of a once mighty space programme.

Russia’s state space corporation, Roskosmos, said it had lost contact with the craft at 11:57 GMT (5:27pm IST) on Saturday after a problem as the craft was shunted into pre-landing orbit. A soft landing had been planned for Monday.

“The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon,” Roskosmos said in a statement.

It said a special inter-departmental commission had been formed to investigate the reasons behind the loss of the Luna-25 craft, whose mission had raised hopes in Moscow that Russia was returning to the big power moon race.

The failure underscored the decline of Russia’s space power since the glory days of Cold War competition when Moscow was the first to launch a satellite to orbit the Earth – Sputnik 1, in 1957 – and Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to travel into space in 1961.

It also comes as Russia’s $2 trillion (roughly Rs. 1,66,18,000 crore) economy faces its biggest external challenge for decades: the pressure of both Western sanctions and fighting the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two.

Though moon missions are fiendishly difficult, and many US and Soviet attempts have failed, Russia had not attempted a moon mission since Luna-24 in 1976, when Communist leader Leonid Brezhnev ruled the Kremlin.

Russian state television put news of the loss of Luna-25 at number 8 in its line up at noon and gave it just 26 seconds of coverage, after a news about fires on Tenerife and a 4 minute item about a professional holiday for Russian pilots and crews.

Failed Moonshot

Russia has been racing against India, whose Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is scheduled to land on the moon’s south pole this week, and more broadly against China and the United States which both have advanced lunar ambitions.

As news of the Luna-25 failure broke, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Chandrayaan-3 was set to land on August 23.

Russian officials had hoped that the Luna-25 mission would show Russia can compete with the superpowers in space despite its post-Soviet decline and the vast cost of the Ukraine war.

“The flight control system was a vulnerable area, which had to go through many fixes,” said Anatoly Zak, the creator and publisher of www.RussianSpaceWeb.com which tracks Russian space programmes.

Zak said Russia had also gone for the much more ambitious moon landing before undertaking a simpler orbital mission – the usual practice for the Soviet Union, the United States, China and India.

While Luna-25 went beyond the earth’s orbit – unlike the failed 2011 Fobos-Grunt mission to one of the moons of Mars – the crash could impact Russia’s moon programme, which envisages several more missions over coming years including a possible joint effort with China.

Russian scientists have repeatedly complained that the space programme has been weakened by poor managers who are keen for unrealistic vanity space projects, corruption and a decline in the rigour of Russia’s post-Soviet scientific education system.

“It is so sad that it was not possible to land the apparatus,” said Mikhail Marov, a leading Soviet physicist and astronomer.

Marov, 90, was hospitalised in Moscow after news of the failure of Luna-25 was announced, although details of what he was ill with were not available.

Marov told the Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper that he hoped the reasons behind the crash would be discussed and examined rigorously.

“This was perhaps the last hope for me to see a revival of our lunar program,” he said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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1.4 Million-Year-Old Jaw Identified as New Paranthropus Species in South Africa

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February 8, 2025

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1.4 Million-Year-Old Jaw Identified as New Paranthropus Species in South Africa

A fossilised jawbone discovered in South Africa has been classified as belonging to a previously unidentified human relative. The specimen, estimated to be 1.4 million years old, has been attributed to the genus Paranthropus, known for its distinctive dental structure. Unlike its robust counterparts, the newly identified species exhibits a smaller jaw and teeth, suggesting dietary differences. The findings indicate that multiple hominin species coexisted in southern Africa during that period, adding to the complexity of early human evolution.

Findings from the Research

According to a study published in the Journal of Human Evolution, the fossil jaw, catalogued as SK 15, was unearthed in 1949 at Swartkrans, a well-known paleoanthropological site in South Africa. Originally classified as Telanthropus capensis and later reassigned to Homo ergaster, recent analysis has challenged this classification. Clément Zanolli, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Bordeaux, told Live Science that advanced X-ray imaging was used to create virtual 3D models of the specimen. Internal and external dental structures were examined, revealing that SK 15 does not align with Homo species. The molars were found to be longer and more rectangular than those typically seen in Homo, with the jaw notably thicker than expected. These characteristics led researchers to identify it as a distinct species within the Paranthropus genus, named Paranthropus capensis.

Implications of the Discovery

As per the findings, Paranthropus capensis existed alongside Paranthropus robustus around 1.4 million years ago. Variations in jaw and tooth structure suggest different dietary habits, with P. robustus likely relying on a highly specialised diet due to its large molars, while P. capensis may have consumed a broader range of food sources.

Zanolli noted that the fossil record in Africa remains incomplete, leaving open the question of whether P. capensis persisted beyond its currently known timeframe. The possibility of additional unidentified species in the hominin lineage has been highlighted, underlining the need for further excavation and study in the region.

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Extreme Arctic Warming Sees North Pole Temperatures Rise Above Freezing

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February 8, 2025

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Extreme Arctic Warming Sees North Pole Temperatures Rise Above Freezing

A dramatic rise in temperature was recorded at the North Pole, with levels surpassing the freezing point due to an extreme winter warming event. Reports indicate that temperatures climbed 20 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, raising concerns among climate scientists about its impact on Arctic ice loss and long-term warming trends. The event, which occurred over the weekend, is said to be among the most extreme instances of winter warming recorded in the region.

Warming Near The North Pole

As reported by the Guardian, temperatures at the North Pole exceeded 0 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed the significant warming trend, while an Arctic snow buoy logged a temperature reading of 0.5 degrees Celsius. Mika Rantanen, a researcher at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, told the Guardian that although estimating exact temperature variations in remote Arctic locations remains difficult, models suggest a deviation of more than 20 degrees Celsius.

Weather system over Iceland linked to Arctic temperature rise

Julien Nicolas, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Climate Change Service, told the Guardian that a deep low-pressure system near Iceland was responsible for directing warm air toward the Arctic. The phenomenon was further amplified by warm sea temperatures in the northeastern Atlantic. Nicolas stated that while such weather events are rare, further analysis is required to determine their frequency.

Historical precedents and climate change concerns

Previous instances of extreme Arctic warming have been recorded. In December 2016, temperatures at the North Pole reached approximately 32 degrees Fahrenheit during a winter heatwave.

Studies indicate that the Arctic is warming at a rate nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, a phenomenon known as Arctic amplification. The loss of reflective sea ice accelerates warming by increasing the absorption of solar energy. Indigenous communities and Arctic wildlife, including polar bears and whales, are particularly vulnerable to these changes, which threaten their habitats and long-term survival.

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Astronaut Vision Changes in Space, Pose Risks for Mars Exploration

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February 8, 2025

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Astronaut Vision Changes in Space, Pose Risks for Mars Exploration

A significant number of astronauts spending extended time aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have reported changes to their vision, raising concerns for future deep-space missions. Reports indicate that 70 percent of astronauts who have spent between six to twelve months in microgravity have experienced noticeable shifts in eyesight. Symptoms linked to spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) include swelling of the optic nerve, flattening at the back of the eye, and vision impairment. The phenomenon is attributed to fluid redistribution in microgravity, which increases pressure on ocular structures. While many astronauts recover upon returning to Earth, the long-term impact remains uncertain, making it a critical issue for extended missions beyond low Earth orbit.

Findings of the Study

According to a study, Microgravity, researchers led by Santiago Costantino at the Université de Montréal examined 13 astronauts who had spent five to six months on the ISS. Participants from the United States, Europe, Japan and Canada, with an average age of 48, were included in the research. Eye measurements were taken before and after spaceflight, focusing on ocular rigidity, intraocular pressure, and ocular pulse amplitude. The study identified a 33 percent decline in ocular rigidity, an 11 percent reduction in intraocular pressure, and a 25 percent drop in ocular pulse amplitude. Some astronauts also exhibited an increase in choroidal thickness beyond normal levels.

Concerns for Long-Duration Space Travel

SANS has been observed since the early 2000s, with similar symptoms reported by Russian cosmonauts aboard the Mir space station. NASA officially classified the condition in 2011. Bodily fluid shifts in microgravity are believed to be the primary cause, although the exact mechanisms remain under investigation. Countermeasures such as negative pressure devices, pharmaceutical treatments, and targeted nutrition plans are being explored to mitigate risks.

Potential Solutions and Future Research

According to reports, ongoing research aims to identify astronauts at higher risk of developing severe ocular issues. As reported by space.com, Costantino noted that changes in the mechanical properties of the eye could serve as biomarkers for SANS, potentially assisting in early detection and intervention. Space agencies continue to prioritise the development of strategies to protect astronaut vision for future deep-space missions, including those to Mars.

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