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.

The Resilience spacecraft went dark during its landing attempt on June 5, and likely hit the moon too fast. The company will try again in 2027.

A private lunar lander from Tokyo-based company ispace was aiming for a touchdown in the unexplored far north with a mini rover.