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Setbacks in Lunar Exploration as Intuitive Machines’ Athena Lander Falls Short

Intuitive Machines has announced the conclusion of its IM-2 lunar mission following the failure of its lander, Athena, which has come to rest on its side approximately 820 feet (200 meters) from its intended landing location. This development was confirmed by the company in a statement issued earlier today, noting that the lander’s batteries were depleted and they did not anticipate that its solar panels would be able to recharge the craft.

Despite the unfortunate conclusion, Intuitive Machines reported that mission controllers successfully accelerated several programming and payload milestones during the mission. This included work on the primary payload, PRIME-1, a NASA instrument designed to drill into lunar soil to study the presence of water ice beneath the surface. However, it remains unclear if any significant data was collected prior to the mission’s end.

The company highlighted that this mission represented the southernmost lunar landing and set of surface operations ever attempted.

Prior to this incident, the IM-2 mission was progressing as planned. After its launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 26, the lander successfully entered lunar orbit before making its descent towards Mons Mouton, situated near the Moon’s south pole. Yet, upon landing, the mission team struggled to determine the lander’s orientation and exact location.

Later, Intuitive Machines identified Athena resting about 820 feet (250 meters) away from its target. Images transmitted from the craft depicted it lying on its side within a crater, partially in shadow, while two of its landing legs remained exposed to sunlight.

Given the extreme cold within the crater as well as the angle of sunlight, the company does not foresee the lander being able to recharge its batteries.

This marks Intuitive Machines’ second setback related to lunar landings; its previous attempt included the Odysseus lander, which experienced structural failure and became immobilized at an angle during landing. While that mission lasted several days before the solar panels failed to receive proper sunlight, Athena’s operation period was notably much shorter, initially scheduled for ten days.

Payloads and Future Missions

One of Athena’s secondary payloads, a small rover known as MAPP (Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform), was able to power on and send back data, indicating that it was prepared for deployment. However, according to its manufacturer, Lunar Outpost, it could not be deployed due to the lander’s precarious position.

Looking ahead, Intuitive Machines is planning the IM-3 mission, targeting the Reiner Gamma region of the Moon, which will include four NASA payloads, alongside a rover and a relay satellite. The launch is anticipated for as early as next year.

As of now, neither NASA nor Intuitive Machines have provided further comments regarding the situation.

Challenges and Setbacks in Recent Lunar Missions

In addition to the IM-2 mission’s challenges, other lunar missions that launched alongside Athena as rideshare payloads on the same SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket are also facing difficulties.

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer, a $95 million satellite aimed at mapping the distribution of water ice on the Moon, has experienced significant issues. Initially successfully communicating with mission controllers from Caltech’s Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), the satellite encountered power problems shortly after launch, leading to a loss of contact. Currently, the mission team is exploring alternative trajectories to the Moon that could potentially enable the satellite to achieve its scientific objectives, though they must first restore communication.

NASA’s Nicky Fox noted the high-risk, high-reward nature of such missions, highlighting the innovative spirit of the team tasked with Lunar Trailblazer, expressing confidence in their ability to regroup and resolve the situation.

Another mission, a small satellite named Odin from the startup Astroforge, was designed to gather data and images from asteroid 2022 OB5. However, the mission operators encountered a number of technical issues shortly after deployment. Despite attempts to reconnect, the distance increased, and with the situation becoming dire, Astroforge ultimately declared the satellite likely unrecoverable as of March 6.

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