/sci/ - Science & Math

https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/08/russia-seems-to-have-lost-contact-with-its-first-lunar-probe-in-half-a-century/

> The final Soviet lunar mission launched in 1976. In terms of interplanetary exploration, the Russians launched two shots at Mars in 1996 and 2011, but both failed to leave low-Earth orbit. Several European Mars missions have successfully launched on Russian rockets, but those relied on European technology to reach the red planet and operate there. Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia has not successfully sent a probe to the Moon.

> Russia has said it does not want to stop with Luna 25. There are plans for a Luna 26 orbiter mission, officially projected to launch in 2027, followed by two more ambitious robotic landing expeditions. But those launches are still years away, and given how long it took for Russia to ready Luna 25 for flight, it's probably a safe bet future Luna missions will be delayed more, if they fly at all.