Moonshot Ends in Failure for India and Its Water-Hunting Rover

Descent was normal until 2.1 kilometers above lunar surface
Modi comforts scientists, saying resolve now even stronger

Scientists and employees view the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft Lander module at the Indian Space Research Organization Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (ISITE) at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru, India, on June 12, 2019.Photographer: Karen Dias/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Anurag Kotoky and Justin Bachman

September 6, 2019 at 9:31 PM UTC

Updated on

September 7, 2019 at 4:09 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

India’s attempt to land a probe on the moon’s southern pole failed, dealing a major blow to its ambitious space program.

The country’s space agency lost communication with a lander and a rover near the satellite’s surface, minutes before a scheduled touchdown. The Chandrayaan-2 craft’s descent was normal until an altitude of 2.1 km (1.3 miles) before communication was lost early Saturday in India, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, K. Sivan, said in a televised broadcast.