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Tokyo company loses contact with moon lander in likely crash

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A Japanese company just tried to land its own spacecraft on the moon, but its fate is currently unknown. Flight controllers lost contact with it moments before a planned touchdown.

In this image from video provided by ispace, flight controllers in Tokyo wait for a signal from the company's Hakuto spacecraft after a landing attempt on the surface of the moon, early Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Inset image at bottom left shows Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of the company, center.

A Japanese company lost contact with its spacecraft moments before touchdown on the moon Wednesday, saying the mission had apparently failed. Communications ceased as the lander descended the final 33 feet , traveling around 16 mph . Flight controllers peered at their screens in Tokyo, expressionless, as minutes went by with no word from the lander, which is presumed to have crashed.

“We have to assume that we could not complete the landing on the lunar surface,” said Takeshi Hakamada, founder and CEO of the company, ispace.

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