Moscow - Russia's latest attempt at a lunar mission after 47 years has ended in disappointment, marking a setback for the country's space ambitions. The Luna-25 spacecraft, part of Russia's state space corporation Roskosmos, encountered a critical issue during its descent to the moon. 

The craft reportedly veered into an unpredictable orbit and ultimately collided with the lunar surface, leading to its destruction. 

Contact was lost shortly after the incident occurred while the craft was being directed to a pre-landing orbit.

This failure is a blow to Russia's space prestige, highlighting a decline in its space capabilities since the era of Cold War competition. During those glory days, Moscow achieved significant milestones, including launching the historic satellite Sputnik 1 in 1957 and sending cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on the first human spaceflight in 1961.

The Luna-25 mission was intended to mark Russia's return to lunar exploration, which had been dormant since the Luna-24 mission in 1976. 

The spacecraft was slated to make a soft landing on the moon's south pole on August 21, as confirmed by Russian space officials. However, technical difficulties thwarted these plans, leaving the nation without a successful moon mission for decades.

Russia's lunar aspirations faced not only technical challenges but also intense global competition. India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, set to land on the moon's south pole, is vying for success this week. Furthermore, Russia was competing against the ambitious lunar programs of China and the United States, both of which have made significant strides in lunar exploration. 

The failure of Luna-25 underscores the importance of addressing technical obstacles to ensure Russia remains a key player in space exploration.