Second moon landing attempt leaves private space firm in limbo

A private space firm from Japan likely did not stick its moon landing on Thursday, which would make this the second failed attempt to get to the lunar surface for the company in the past two years. 

The mission, dubbed Hakuto-R by the company ispace, tried to touch down around 3:15 p.m. ET on June 5 after a long 4.5-month meandering journey to save on fuel. But the team lost communication with the lander — a foreboding sign that something probably went wrong.  

UPDATE: Jun. 5, 2025...