Fears that India’s space craft crashed as contact is lost with lunar lander

India’s space agency has lost touch with its lunar lander as it approached the moon’s south pole.

It’s not clear whether the Vikrum lander has crashed or landed.

The lander of India’s Chandrayaan-2 moon mission was attempting a “soft,” or controlled, landing near the south pole of the moon where scientists believe there could be water ice. ISRO lost communication with it just as it was about to land on the moon.

“Data is being analysed,” ISRO Chairman K Sivan told a room full of distraught scientists at the agency’s tracking centre in Bengaluru.

The Indian designed spacecraft, which had been orbiting the moon, began descending towards the lunar surface at about 2007 GMT but scientists lost contact with it during the penultimate stage of the descent.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to “hope for the best”, during a visit to mission control in the southern city of Bengaluru.

Via Reuters / Sky