Software glitch caused Japanese lunar lander crash on the moon.
Japanese company ispace announced that a software glitch caused its lunar lander, HAKUTO-R M1, to crash during its landing attempt last month. The onboard computer disregarded altitude information from a laser rangefinder, leading the lander to conclude it was on the surface when it was still five kilometers above it. The lander continued to descend until it exhausted its propellant and crashed into the surface. The company's investigation revealed that a change in landing sites made after the mission's critical design review in February 2021 was a factor in the crash. ispace's second lander, M2, remains on schedule for launch in 2024.