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Space exploration: Where do we go from here?

Suboptimal.

Russia's unmanned Luna-25 spacecraft has crashed into the Moon after spinning out of control, officials say.

It was Russia's first Moon mission in almost 50 years.

The craft was due to be the first ever to land on the Moon's south pole, but failed after encountering problems as it moved into its pre-landing orbit.

It was set to explore a part of the Moon which scientists think could hold frozen water and precious elements.

Roscosmos, Russia's state space corporation, said on Sunday morning that it had lost contact with the Luna-25 shortly after 14:57pm (11:57 GMT) on Saturday.

Preliminary findings showed that the 800kg lander had "ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the Moon", it said in a statement.
 
All the Roscosmos engineers who led the program had better stay at ground level and skip afternoon tea going forward.

I know vlad would take full credit and blame every one else, but being an engineer, I do feel for the scientists and engineers who were under massive pressure to make this happen. Just a little harder than working for spacex.
 
Actually, now that I think about it, the easiest way for Poots to punish them is to just issue them uniforms & equipment and send them to the Ukrainian Front. Being defenestrated somehow sounds preferable...
 
All the Roscosmos engineers who led the program had better stay at ground level and skip afternoon tea going forward.

NASA take note.

The lunar mission was Russia’s first since 1976, when it was part of the Soviet Union. Only three countries have managed successful moon landings: the Soviet Union, the United States and China.

“The negative experience of interrupting the lunar program for almost 50 years is the main reason for the failures,” Borisov said, adding “it would be the worst decision ever” for Russia to end the program now.

Ahem.
 
India sticks the landing.

First soft landings by body

Moon:

1966 USSR
1966 USA
2013 China
2023 India

Who's next?


Mars:

1971 USSR
1975 USA
2003 UK/ESA, maybe (no comms)
2021 China


Venus:

1970 USSR
1978 USA


Other:

Titan 2005 ESA
Eros 2001 USA
Itokawa 2005 Japan (1 second soft grab and go)
Ryuga 2018 Japan; 2018 France/Germany
Bennu 2020 USA
Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko 2014 ESA
 
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So JWST potentially found traces of dimethyl sulfide on an exoplanet. Apparently this is a substance produced primarily by life.
 
So JWST potentially found traces of dimethyl sulfide on an exoplanet. Apparently this is a substance produced primarily by life.

The atmosphere is "mostly hydrogen." Um.

1200px-Hindenburg_disaster.jpg


BTW, by "primarily" they mean that thus far, the only way we know of to produce this is by life. But the only place we know of it is Earth.

Bonus: it is one of the products of brewing beer.
 
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