Japanese company ispace said its uncrewed moon lander likely crashed onto the moon's surface during its lunar touchdown attempt on Friday, marking another failure two years after its unsuccessful inaugural mission.

A private lunar lander from Japan descended toward a touchdown on the moon Friday, but flight controllers lost contact with the spacecraft and were unsure of its fate. The Tokyo-based company ispace said its lander dropped out of lunar orbit as planned. But there was no immediate word on the outcome, following the hourlong descent.

A private lunar lander from Japan is closing in on the moon, aiming for a touchdown in the unexplored far north