Japanese company: ‘High probability’ lander crashed on moon

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

A Japanese company’s spacecraft apparently crashed while attempting to land on the moon. Flight controllers lost contact Wednesday with the lander after it descended from lunar orbit, aiming for the dusty surface. More than six hours later, the company said there was “a high probability” that the lander had slammed into the moon. If all had gone well, the company would have been the first private business to pull off a lunar landing. Only three governments have successfully landed on the moon: Russia, the United States and China. The spacecraft carried a mini lunar rover for the United Arab Emirates and a toylike robot from Japan.