India Loses Contact With Lunar Lander During Historic South Pole Descent
India's Vikram lander falls silent just 1.3 miles above the lunar surface during an unprecedented attempt to touch down near the moon's south pole. The mission's orbiter remains safely in orbit to continue its scientific objectives.
India's Chandrayaan-2 mission faces a major setback as the Vikram lander loses contact with Earth just 1.3 miles above the lunar surface. The Indian Space Research Organization reports that the descent proceeds as planned until the spacecraft reaches an altitude of 2.1 kilometers, after which all communication unexpectedly ceases. This ambitious mission aims to achieve the first-ever controlled landing in the moon's south polar region.
A successful touchdown would have made India the fourth country to land on the moon and the third to operate a robotic rover. The final descent requires the lander to autonomously slow to a near standstill, scan for hazards, and avoid obstacles without human intervention. Planetary scientists note that landing is the most terrifying part of any lunar voyage, as the majority of robotic moon landing attempts historically end in failure.
Despite the loss of the lander, the Chandrayaan-2 mission continues as the orbiter remains safely in lunar orbit. This orbiting spacecraft now begins its planned year-long scientific mission to study the moon from above. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expresses national pride in the scientists, emphasizing that these moments require courage as the space agency analyzes the data to determine Vikram's exact fate.