A recent photo shows the Athena Moon lander lying on its side on the lunar surface. This confirms the spacecraft suffered a serious failure during landing.
After Athena descended, it managed to touch down near Mons Mouton but ended up about 800 feet off target. Because it landed on its side, many of its scientific instruments couldn’t work properly.
The image captures a beautiful lunar scene: a slope illuminated by sunlight, with the crescent Earth shining in the distant sky. Unfortunately, Athena cannot generate power from its position.
“Given the sun’s direction, the panel angle, and the freezing temperatures, we don’t expect Athena to recharge,” stated Intuitive Machines. “The mission has concluded, but we will analyze the data we gathered.”
Athena’s failure raises concerns for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which relies on private companies for lunar missions at a lower cost. Out of the four CLPS missions launched, only Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost successfully met its science goals without major issues.
Similar problems occurred with Athena’s predecessor, Odysseus. Both landers from Intuitive Machines tipped over after landing. Another mission from Astrobotic Technology failed to reach the Moon due to a propulsion error.
The stock price of Intuitive Machines fell by 20% following the news and continued to drop, going below $9 from a peak of over $13 before the landing.
Despite the setbacks, NASA officials pointed out the positive learning experiences from these missions. Nicola Fox, a NASA science administrator, stressed the importance of these attempts in developing a sustainable lunar economy.
“Even if the landing doesn’t go perfectly, we gain valuable lessons for future missions,” Fox said.
However, these failures prompt questions about the effectiveness of NASA’s lunar exploration strategies. The agency has heavily invested in missions like the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), aimed at studying lunar water resources. Originally planned for a CLPS mission, VIPER’s future is now uncertain as NASA reassesses its funding.
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