Dubai: Russia’s hopes of once again dominating lunar exploration literally came crashing down into the moon at the weekend, bringing home a bitter truth that its space program is not what it once was.

More than 60 years on from its Soviet-era heyday – launching the first dog and then the first man into space – Russia is lagging old and new global competitors embarking on a new race for the moon.

“Over the past decade, if not more, they haven’t been as ambitious, they haven’t been doing as many missions and there’s been a general [loss] of expertise and investment,” said Australian National University astrophysicist and cosmologist Brad Tucker.

A picture taken from the camera of the lunar landing spacecraft Luna-25 during its flight to the moon shows the mission emblem and the bucket of the lunar manipulator complex. Credit: Reuters

“The space race of today, it’s nothing like in the ’60s and ’70s. Then, it was a two-horse race with one goal. Now there are multiple horses and multiple races. And if you’re not trying to compete ... what are you doing?”