BANGALORE, India — India’s attempt to land a robotic spacecraft near themoon’s South Pole on Saturday appeared to end in failure.

The initial parts of the descent, as engines fired to slow it down fromorbit, went smoothly. But less than two miles above the surface, thetrajectory diverged from the planned path. The mission control room fellsilent as communications from the lander were lost. A member of the staffwas seen patting the back of K. Sivan, the director of India’s spaceprogram.

He later announced that the spacecraft was operating as expected until analtitude of 2.1 kilometers, or 1.3 miles. “The data is being analyzed,” hesaid.

The partial failure of the Chandrayaan-2 mission — an orbiter remains inoperation — would delay the country’s bid to join an elite club of nationsthat have landed in one piece on the moon’s surface.