Private US lander destroyed during re-entry after failed Moon mission, firm says

Illustration of the Peregrine lunar lander on the surface of the Moon (Astrobotic Technology via AP)

A US company’s failed moonshot ended with a fiery plunge over the South Pacific, officials have confirmed.

Astrobotic Technology said contact and then tracking was lost as its lunar lander re-entered Earth’s atmosphere on Thursday, 10 days after launching from Florida.