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CNN
07-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Intuitive Machines' Athena moon lander mission ends prematurely
Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company that was set to deliver a historic water-hunting mission to the moon's south pole, announced Friday that its Athena lander has powered down just one day after arriving at the lunar surface. Athena was expected to operate for about 10 days before powering down as lunar night fell over the spacecraft's landing site at Mons Mouton, a plateau that lies about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the south pole. But photographs delivered by the lander before it powered down confirmed the vehicle is lying on its side. 'With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge,' the company said in a statement. 'The mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission.' Intuitive Machines, however, highlighted that, although Athena did not operate as intended, the lander was able to briefly operate and transmit data after touchdown. That made the mission the 'southernmost lunar landing and surface operations ever achieved.' Intuitive Machines also said that Athena was 'able to accelerate several program and payload milestones, including NASA's PRIME-1 suite, before the lander's batteries depleted.' PRIME-1, which includes a drill that was expected to dig into the lunar surface to hunt for water, was able to move, according to a statement from NASA that states the device 'demonstrated the hardware's full range of motion in the harsh environment of space.' Sensors on board PRIME-1, which were designed to analyze lunar soil for signs of water ice, also turned on and detected 'elements likely due to the gases emitted from the lander's propulsion system,' NASA said. 'Empowering American companies to deliver science and tech to the Moon on behalf of NASA both produces scientific results and continues development of a lunar economy,' said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration in the Science Mission Directorate, in a statement. 'While we're disappointed in the outcome of the IM-2 mission, we remain committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they navigate the very difficult task of landing and operating on the Moon.' The company did not specifically address other payloads that were on board the Athena lander. But Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, which provided a four-wheeled rover that had been expected to drive off the lander about six hours after Thursday's touchdown, said in a post on social media platform X that it was not able to deploy. Some of the science and tech instruments onboard Athena were able to operate during transit to the moon and in lunar orbit before yesterday's touchdown, said NASA and Intuitive Machines officials at a Thursday news conference. Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines' chief technology officer, highlighted that Athena captured close-up images of the moon's south pole region, calling them an exciting development that will aid scientists' understanding of this crater-ridden area of the moon. Moon landing challenges Athena's premature shutdown is reminiscent of Intuitive Machines' last lunar mission, which put a lander named Odysseus in the same pockmarked south pole region in February 2024. Odysseus also landed on its side but was able to operate for about six days, though its antennae were pointing in an inopportune direction, making it difficult to collect large quantities of data. The company also revealed Friday that it was able to determine Athena touched down about 820 feet (250 meters) from its intended landing site. At a Thursday news conference about Athena's status, Intuitive Machines officials had said only that the vehicle's exact landing site was unknown, but it likely did not land within a 164-foot-wide (50-meter) zone the company had been targeting. Intuitive Machines developed the Athena lunar lander as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, under which the agency doles out relatively cheap fixed-price contracts to private sector companies in an effort to spur innovation and drive down the cost of getting robotic exploration vehicles to the moon. At Thursday's news conference, Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, was asked about this approach and whether NASA was rethinking its commitment to low-cost missions. In her response, Fox noted that NASA has numerous science and exploration missions in the works — including the Blue Ghost lunar lander from Cedar Park, Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace. The robotic explorer is operating near the moon's equator after a successful touchdown on March 2. 'We get together and we celebrate one another's successes and we empathize with the challenges,' Fox said. Intuitive Machines will carefully analyze data from Athena over the next 30 days in a process referred to as a 'hot wash,' the company's CEO Steve Altemus said Thursday. 'We prepare a set of recommendations for what went well, what went wrong, what needs to be fixed for the next mission,' Altemus said. The company was planning to launch a third landing mission, called IM-3, about a year from now. But Altemus suggested that may change as the company pursues a contract for satellites that can relay data from the moon.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar landing mission concludes after one day due to wayward landing
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company that was set to deliver a historic water-hunting mission to the moon's south pole, announced Friday that its Athena lander has powered down just one day after arriving at the lunar surface. Athena was expected to operate for about 10 days before powering down as lunar night fell over the spacecraft's landing site at Mons Mouton, a plateau that lies about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the south pole. But photographs delivered by the lander before it powered down confirmed the vehicle is lying on its side. 'With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge,' the company said in a statement. 'The mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission.' Intuitive Machines, however, highlighted that, although Athena did not operate as intended, the lander was able to briefly operate and transmit data after touchdown. That made the mission the 'southernmost lunar landing and surface operations ever achieved.' Intuitive Machines also said that Athena was 'able to accelerate several program and payload milestones, including NASA's PRIME-1 suite, before the lander's batteries depleted.' It's unclear whether that means PRIME-1, which is a drill that was expected to dig into the lunar surface to hunt for water, was able to operate, collect data, or use its sensors to analyze the soil. The company did not specifically address other payloads that were on board the Athena lander. But Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, which provided a four-wheeled rover that had been expected to drive off the lander about six hours after Thursday's touchdown, said in a post on social media platform X that it was not able to deploy. Some of the science and tech instruments onboard Athena were able to operate during transit to the moon and in lunar orbit before yesterday's touchdown, said NASA and Intuitive Machines officials at a Thursday news conference. Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines' chief technology officer, highlighted that Athena captured close-up images of the moon's south pole region, calling them an exciting development that will aid scientists' understanding of this crater-ridden area of the moon. Athena's premature shutdown is reminiscent of Intuitive Machines' last lunar mission, which put a lander named Odysseus in the same pockmarked south pole region in February 2024. Odysseus also landed on its side but was able to operate for about six days, though its antennae were pointing in an inopportune direction, making it difficult to collect large quantities of data. The company also revealed Friday that it was able to determine Athena touched down about 820 feet (250 meters) from its intended landing site. At a Thursday news conference about Athena's status, Intuitive Machines officials had said only that the vehicle's exact landing site was unknown, but it likely did not land within a 164-foot-wide (50-meter) zone the company had been targeting. Intuitive Machines developed the Athena lunar lander as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, under which the agency doles out relatively cheap fixed-price contracts to private sector companies in an effort to spur innovation and drive down the cost of getting robotic exploration vehicles to the moon. At Thursday's news conference, Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, was asked about this approach and whether NASA was rethinking its commitment to low-cost missions. In her response, Fox noted that NASA has numerous science and exploration missions in the works — including the Blue Ghost lunar lander from Cedar Park, Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace. The robotic explorer is operating near the moon's equator after a successful touchdown on March 2. 'We get together and we celebrate one another's successes and we empathize with the challenges,' Fox said. Intuitive Machines will carefully analyze data from Athena over the next 30 days in a process referred to as a 'hot wash,' the company's CEO Steve Altemus said Thursday. 'We prepare a set of recommendations for what went well, what went wrong, what needs to be fixed for the next mission,' Altemus said. The company was planning to launch a third landing mission, called IM-3, about a year from now. But Altemus suggested that may change as the company pursues a contract for satellites that can relay data from the moon.
CNN
07-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Intuitive Machines' Athena moon lander mission ends prematurely
Intuitive Machines, the Houston-based company that was set to deliver a historic water-hunting mission to the moon's south pole, announced Friday that its Athena lander has powered down just one day after arriving at the lunar surface. Athena was expected to operate for about 10 days before powering down as lunar night fell over the spacecraft's landing site at Mons Mouton, a plateau that lies about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the south pole. But photographs delivered by the lander before it powered down confirmed the vehicle is lying on its side. 'With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge,' the company said in a statement. 'The mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission.' Intuitive Machines, however, highlighted that, although Athena did not operate as intended, the lander was able to briefly operate and transmit data after touchdown. That made the mission the 'southernmost lunar landing and surface operations ever achieved.' Intuitive Machines also said that Athena was 'able to accelerate several program and payload milestones, including NASA's PRIME-1 suite, before the lander's batteries depleted.' It's unclear whether that means PRIME-1, which is a drill that was expected to dig into the lunar surface to hunt for water, was able to operate, collect data, or use its sensors to analyze the soil. The company did not specifically address other payloads that were on board the Athena lander. But Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, which provided a four-wheeled rover that had been expected to drive off the lander about six hours after Thursday's touchdown, said in a post on social media platform X that it was not able to deploy. Some of the science and tech instruments onboard Athena were able to operate during transit to the moon and in lunar orbit before yesterday's touchdown, said NASA and Intuitive Machines officials at a Thursday news conference. Tim Crain, Intuitive Machines' chief technology officer, highlighted that Athena captured close-up images of the moon's south pole region, calling them an exciting development that will aid scientists' understanding of this crater-ridden area of the moon. Moon landing challenges Athena's premature shutdown is reminiscent of Intuitive Machines' last lunar mission, which put a lander named Odysseus in the same pockmarked south pole region in February 2024. Odysseus also landed on its side but was able to operate for about six days, though its antennae were pointing in an inopportune direction, making it difficult to collect large quantities of data. The company also revealed Friday that it was able to determine Athena touched down about 820 feet (250 meters) from its intended landing site. At a Thursday news conference about Athena's status, Intuitive Machines officials had said only that the vehicle's exact landing site was unknown, but it likely did not land within a 164-foot-wide (50-meter) zone the company had been targeting. Intuitive Machines developed the Athena lunar lander as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, under which the agency doles out relatively cheap fixed-price contracts to private sector companies in an effort to spur innovation and drive down the cost of getting robotic exploration vehicles to the moon. At Thursday's news conference, Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, was asked about this approach and whether NASA was rethinking its commitment to low-cost missions. In her response, Fox noted that NASA has numerous science and exploration missions in the works — including the Blue Ghost lunar lander from Cedar Park, Texas-based company Firefly Aerospace. The robotic explorer is operating near the moon's equator after a successful touchdown on March 2. 'We get together and we celebrate one another's successes and we empathize with the challenges,' Fox said. Intuitive Machines will carefully analyze data from Athena over the next 30 days in a process referred to as a 'hot wash,' the company's CEO Steve Altemus said Thursday. 'We prepare a set of recommendations for what went well, what went wrong, what needs to be fixed for the next mission,' Altemus said. The company was planning to launch a third landing mission, called IM-3, about a year from now. But Altemus suggested that may change as the company pursues a contract for satellites that can relay data from the moon.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Athena lunar lander makes it to the moon — but its condition remains unknown
A lunar lander made its touchdown on the moon earlier on Thursday, but controllers on the ground were unable to confirm the Athena lander's condition upon landing, the Associated Press reported. In addition to its condition, the location of where the craft landed is also unclear. The lander, which is owned by Intuitive Machines, was carrying an ice drill, a drone and two rovers. Athena was apparently able to communicate with its controllers, the Associated Press reported, citing officials. Mission director and co-founder Tim Crain was heard telling the team to "keep working on the problem," despite the craft sending apparent "acknowledgments" to the team in Texas. First Commercial Moon Lander 'Odysseus' Lands On Moon NASA and Intuitive Machines ended the online live stream and announced that they would hold a news conference on the status of Athena later on Thursday. Private Lunar Lander Blue Ghost Lands On The Moon With Equipment For Nasa Read On The Fox News App Last year, Intuitive Machine saw its Odysseus lander make it to the moon, only to end up landing sideways, putting extra pressure on today's landing. Athena is the second craft to land on the moon this week after Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost made touchdown on Sunday. "You all stuck the landing. We're on the moon," Firefly's Will Coogan, chief engineer for the lander, said. Blue Ghost's landing made Firefly Aerospace the first private company to put a spacecraft on the moon without it crashing or falling over. Fox News' Landon Minon contributed to this article source: Athena lunar lander makes it to the moon — but its condition remains unknown
Fox News
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Fox News
Athena lunar lander makes it to the moon — but its condition remains unknown
A lunar lander made its touchdown on the moon earlier on Thursday, but controllers on the ground were unable to confirm the Athena lander's condition upon landing, the Associated Press reported. In addition to its condition, the location of where the craft landed is also unclear. The lander, which is owned by Intuitive Machines, was carrying an ice drill, a drone and two rovers. Athena was apparently able to communicate with its controllers, the Associated Press reported, citing officials. Mission director and co-founder Tim Crain was heard telling the team to "keep working on the problem," despite the craft sending apparent "acknowledgments" to the team in Texas. NASA and Intuitive Machines ended the online live stream and announced that they would hold a news conference on the status of Athena later on Thursday. Last year, Intuitive Machine saw its Odysseus lander make it to the moon, only to end up landing sideways, putting extra pressure on today's landing. Athena is the second craft to land on the moon this week after Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost made touchdown on Sunday. "You all stuck the landing. We're on the moon," Firefly's Will Coogan, chief engineer for the lander, said. Blue Ghost's landing made Firefly Aerospace the first private company to put a spacecraft on the moon without it crashing or falling over.
