Stunning Images Reveal Dead Athena Moon Lander in Its Lunar Crater Tomb

We have exciting news about the Athena moon lander! Recently, images revealed its final resting spot on the lunar surface. Athena, created by Intuitive Machines in Houston, tipped over during its landing on March 6. Instead of landing upright, it ended up on its side in a small crater near the moon’s south pole.

Unfortunately, this position blocked sunlight from its solar panels, leading to the lander’s demise. Intuitive Machines announced Athena’s failure just a day later, on March 7. Interestingly, their first lander, Odysseus, also tipped over during its February 2024 landing but managed to operate for a longer period.

Before it lost power, Athena sent back some images of its surroundings. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) later photographed the lander and its crater. On March 7, LRO captured a beautiful angled shot of Athena’s landing spot, located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the south pole. A few days later, it took another photo showing Athena resting on the shadowy floor of a 65-foot-wide (20 meters) crater.

Athena was part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to support the scientific community by placing instruments on private landers. The lander had onboard experiments and even carried two robots: a rover named MAPP from Lunar Outpost in Colorado and a hopping spacecraft called Grace from Intuitive Machines. Sadly, these planned science activities never took place.

While Athena’s batteries drained quickly, it did gather valuable data that could help future missions. The moon’s south pole is believed to contain significant reserves of water ice, making it a focus for ongoing research. Intuitive Machines expressed optimism about future exploration in this area despite Athena’s challenges. They noted the tough sun angles and difficult terrain were reasons this region had been avoided before.

Interestingly, Athena’s landing came just days after Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander touched down in the moon’s northern hemisphere. The LRO has also captured photos of Blue Ghost, which is functioning well and expected to last until March 16.

As we continue to explore the moon, technologies and insights from missions like Athena will be crucial. The challenges and successes of these missions could shape our understanding of the lunar environment and pave the way for future exploration. If you’re curious about lunar exploration or want to follow the latest updates, NASA’s official website is a great place to start.

For more information about LRO’s findings, check out this NASA page.

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