TOKYO, Japan — Japanese startup ispace Inc. reported on Friday that its lunar probe failed to achieve a successful moon landing.
The event was set to occur shortly after 4 a.m. Japan time on Friday; however, communication with the probe was lost just before the anticipated landing.
Ispace Inc. stated that the probe likely experienced a hard landing on the lunar surface.
The mission involved ispace’s second lunar lander, which launched on January 15 using a Falcon 9 rocket from U.S. spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX.
The startup faced a similar situation with its first lunar mission.