Russia's Luna 25 Lunar Lander Faces Emergency During Approach

In this image made from video released by Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, the Soyuz-2.1b rocket with the Luna 25 lunar lander takes off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast on August 10. The launch of Luna 25 to the moon is Russia's first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union.

Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, reported an "emergency situation" on board the Luna 25 spacecraft while it was attempting to enter a pre-landing orbit on its way to the lunar surface. The incident prevented the planned maneuver and the situation is being analyzed by the management team. It's unclear if this issue will affect the planned lunar landing near the moon's south pole, which was scheduled for Monday.

This mission marks Russia's first attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon since the Soviet era. The last lunar landing was in 1976 with Luna 24.

Luna 25's trajectory surpassed India's Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander on its way to the moon, although it's noted that both projects have been in progress for over a decade.

The success of Luna 25's landing would be significant for Russia's space program and could pave the way for future lunar exploration missions. It's also an opportunity for Russia to demonstrate its capabilities in high-stakes missions and overcome challenges that have plagued its space program for years.