Software Glitch Dooms First Private Moon Landing Attempt

A Japanese company's moon lander crashed while attempting to touch down on the lunar surface due to a software issue and last-minute change in the planned landing site.
The lander was supposed to land in a flat plain but the target was changed to a crater, confusing the spacecraft's software and sending it into free fall from 3 miles up.
The failed mission was a setback for the company, ispace, which had hoped to become the first private firm to successfully land on the moon.
Ispace plans to try again with two more moon landing attempts planned for 2024 and 2025.
The crash highlights the technical challenges of lunar landings even as companies work to make them commercially viable.