Following the failure of Moscow's first lunar voyage in 47 years, a scientist who was a major adviser on Russian President Vladimir Putin's abortive moon mission was admitted to the hospital, according to the Independent. The story further stated that 90-year-old Mikhail Marov was taken to a hospital after experiencing a "sharp deterioration" in his health subsequent to the Luna-25 spacecraft losing control and colliding with the moon.

Expressing sorrow about the progress, he said that the project had affected his life and he couldn't help but be concerned about it. He reportedly stated that this was 'maybe his only chance to see our lunar programme revived'. It is really unfortunate that the apparatus could not be landed, he added. Russian Space Agency Chief Blames Decades of Inactivity for Luna-25 Lander's Crash on the Moon.

Russia's first moon mission since 1976, Luna-25, is noteworthy for its goal of landing on the lunar south pole, the same location that Chandrayaan-3 of India is aiming for. According to the plan, Luna-25 was supposed to touch down on the moon's south pole ahead of Chandrayaan-3, making Russia the first nation to accomplish a soft landing there.

But Roskosmos, Russia's official state space corporation, said it lost touch with the spacecraft on Saturday at 11:57 a.m. (GMT) due to an issue that arose when it was manoeuvred into pre-landing orbit. On Monday, a gentle landing was scheduled. "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 later.

The space agency also announced the formation of a special interdepartmental panel to look into the circumstances behind the loss of the Luna-25 spacecraft. Russia's Luna-25 Moon Mission Ends in Failure as India's Chandrayaan-3 Prepares for Landing.

Meanwhile, Marov is currently under observation. The calculations used to launch into near-lunar orbit contained an error. This won't be a major issue for the experts who will be working on the commission's project. I believe the solution will be discovered in the near future, the Independent cited him as saying.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 22, 2023 03:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).