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 descended toward a touchdown on the moon Friday, but its fate was unknown as flight controllers scrambled to figure out what had happened.