India lost contact with its first lunar lander just before touchdown
The Vikram spacecraft was aiming for a spot close to the moon’s south pole
![Pragyan rover illustration](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/090619_lg_india-lunar-lander_feat.jpg?fit=1028%2C579&ssl=1)
If all had gone as planned, India’s Pragyan rover would have rolled out of the Vikram lander to spend 14 Earth days exploring the moon, as seen in this artist’s illustration.
ISRO