Fate of U.S. Lunar Module Athena is Uncertain
Athena probe. X/ @ust_magazine
March 7, 2025 Hour: 8:22 am
Intuitive Machines’s probe apparently tipped over when landing on the Moon’s south pole.
On Thursday, U.S. company Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander Athena touched down on the Moon, but its fate remains unclear as it may have fallen over while landing.
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The uncrewed lander landed at a region near the Moon’s South Pole at about 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Intuitive Machines said it was uncertain whether the lander was upright near the Moon’s South Pole, or lying sideways like its previous spacecraft, Odysseus, in its lunar mission last year.
“I do have to tell you that we do not believe we are in the correct attitude on the Moon once again. I don’t have all the data yet to say exactly what the attitude of the vehicle is,” Intuitive Machine CEO Stephen Altemus said at a NASA news conference following the touchdown, referring to the craft’s position.
Intuitive Machines is downloading photos from the lander and will also get images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is circling the Moon, in order to get a better idea of Athena’s status, said Altemus.
Due to the vehicle’s tilt, its ability to generate power would be limited, resulting in an “off-nominal” mission. “When we get that full assessment, we will then work closely with NASA science and technology groups to identify science objectives that are the highest priority,” Altemus said.
The lander carried NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface, in a bid to further understand the Moon’s environment and help prepare for future human missions to the lunar surface.
The mission, codenamed IM-2, is set to demonstrate lunar mobility, resource prospecting and analysis of volatile substances from subsurface materials, a critical step toward uncovering water sources beyond the Earth — a key component for establishing sustainable infrastructure both on the lunar surface and in space.
Last year, Intuitive Machines made history when its first lunar lander, Odysseus, made a soft touchdown on the lunar surface. It marked the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the lunar surface in more than 50 years. Intuitive Machines is one of the leading service providers in NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, part of the agency’s lunar exploration efforts.
Under the initiative, NASA is working with multiple U.S. companies. The agency awarded Intuitive Machines the contract to send NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon using its American-designed and -manufactured lunar lander for approximately US$62.5 million.
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Source: Xinhua
