Tokyo: A Japanese spacecraft failed in an attempt to land on the moon today. The Tokyo-based company confirmed the mission's failure several hours after communication with the vehicle was lost, which occurred less than two minutes before the scheduled touchdown on the moon with a small exploration vehicle.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the company announced that the spacecraft descended from an altitude of about 100 kilometers to about 20 kilometers and fired its main engine to begin decelerating, but the engine was unable to slow the vehicle sufficiently for a successful landing.