Status of Rashid Rover unknown

The HAKUTO-R M1 lander, carrying the UAE's Rashid Lunar Rover, has failed to communicate with ground control following its attempted landing on the Moon's surface on Tuesday evening.

The landing sequence started at 7.40pm but there was a wait of around 50 minutes to determine whether it had been successfully initiated, with signals unable to be detected as the craft circled the far side of the Moon.

The lander re-appeared around 10 minutes before its scheduled touchdown at 8.40pm, only for the signal to be lost again.

The operator of HAKUTO-R, ispace, then tried to determine whether the landing had been successful, but communication with the craft failed to be re-established.

ispace engineers are continuing to investigate the status of the mission.

. @MBRSpaceCentre: ispace has updated that they have lost communication with the HAKUTO-R lander and have not been able to confirm a successful landing. Their engineers are continuing to investigate the situation and will update once they finish investigation. pic.twitter.com/dyzwuHRoDo

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) April 25, 2023