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May 30, 2023
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private Japanese moon lander went into free-fall while trying to land on the lunar surface last month, company officials said Friday, blaming a software issue and a last-minute switch in the touchdown location.
The spacecraft belonging to the company ispace was originally supposed to land in a flat plain. But the target was changed to a crater before December's launch. The crater's steep sides apparently confused the onboard software, and the 7-foot spacecraft went into a free-fall from less than 3 miles up, slamming into the lunar surface.
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