NASA shock: India’s wrecked Moon lander discovered on lunar surface months after crash

“During the second phase of descent, the reduction in velocity was more than the designed value,” the India Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a report of the landing. “As a result, Vikram hard landed within 500 [meters] of the designated landing site.”

But the crash wasn’t all bad news for the space agency as ISRO noted noted that many aspects of the mission, including the launch, entering lunar orbit, and lander separation were “successfully accomplished”, while all eight of the scientific instruments on board the orbiter were “performing as per the design and providing valuable scientific data”.

But those successes ultimately remain bittersweet for the country as the crash signalled high emotions across the country.

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