Intuitive Machines' Athena Lander Struggles With Unstable Moon Touchdown In Second Attempt
Intuitive Machines' second lunar lander, Athena, has landed on the Moon at an incorrect angle, repeating the previous mission's landing issue. The lander's position could impact power generation and communication. The company suggests laser altimeter issues may have caused the suboptimal landing. The mission's success in achieving its objectives is yet to be determined.
The lunar lander of a US company appears to have touched down at a wonky angle on Thursday, which is an embarrassing repeat of its previous mission’s less-than-perfect landing last year, reports AFP. According to the report, the Houston-based Intuitive Machines made history in February 2024 as the first private firm to place a spaceship on Earth’s nearest neighbour, though the moment was marred by the Odysseus toppling over upon touchdown.
The company in the second attempt sent the hexagonal Athena lander to the Mons Mouton plateau, closer to the lunar south pole than any mission before it. According to the report, the team targeted a 12:32 pm ET (1732 GMT) touchdown, but as time passed with confirmation, mission control grew visibly tense.
Athena Is On The Surface Of The Moon: US Compmay Spokesman
The company spokesman, twenty minutes after the scheduled landing, announced on a webcast, "Athena is on the surface of the Moon." However, teams were still analysing data to determine the lander's exact status, he said.
Later, CEO Steve Altemus acknowledged to reporters, "We don't believe we're in the correct attitude," an aeronautical term for orientation. He added that the lander's position could limit power generation and communication, impacting the mission's success.
The company also suggested that, as in its previous mission, issues with the Athena’s laser altars, which provide altitude and velocity readings, may have played a role in the suboptimal landing.
Athena, like its predecessor Odysseus, has a tall, slender build. At 15.6 feet (4.8 meters)—the height of a giraffe—it had raised stability concerns.
The Altemus, however, emphasised that the lander’s weight distribution kept the centre of gravity low, and Intuitive Machines remains confident in its design. The expectations were high after Texas rival Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its Blue Ghost lander on the Moon on Sunday on its first attempt.
Both of the missions are part of NASA's $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. It seeks to leverage private industry to reduce costs and support Artemis, NASA’s effort to return astronauts to the Moon and eventually to reach Mars.
The Athena carries a 4G cellular network test, three rovers, and also a unique hopping drone named Grace, which is designed to descend into a permanently shadowed crater—where the sunlight has never reached—a first for humanity. However, it depends on whether any of these objectives will be met, and it is yet to be determined.
"Any time humanity puts a lander on the moon, it's a good day," said Tim Crain, the Intuitive Machines chief technology officer, striking a positive tone.
According to AFP quoting Crain, the team hopes to use the imagery from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to determine Athena's exact location and orientation, though this could take a day or two.
The lunar landings are so difficult. The lack of atmosphere of the moon rules out parachutes, forcing the spacecraft to rely on precise thrusts and navigation over hazardous terrain. The space agencies had only achieved the feat until Intuitive Machines' first mission.
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