Intuitive Machines’ Athena Spacecraft Declared Inoperative After Moon Landing Mishap

A privately owned robotic lander, Athena, has been declared non-operational following a disastrous landing in a crater near the moon’s south pole on Thursday afternoon. Officials from Intuitive Machines, based in Houston, confirmed that the mission is officially over after Athena missed its intended landing target by over 800 feet, resulting in the spacecraft landing sideways and ultimately falling over.

Background on the Athena Mission

This incident marks the second lunar landing attempt for Intuitive Machines within the past year. Athena, a 15-foot-tall robotic spacecraft, shares a striking resemblance to another Intuitive Machines lander, Odysseus, which successfully touched down on the moon in February 2024. Odysseus was the first commercially operated spacecraft to land on the lunar surface, but it too faced challenges shortly after landing.

Details of the Landing Attempt

Nasa reported that Athena made contact with the moon at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday. During a press conference held at 4 p.m. ET, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus expressed uncertainty regarding the exact landing location of Athena, describing the mission as “off-nominal,” a term used in aerospace to indicate that the mission did not proceed as planned.

Mission Objectives and Goals

Athena was intended to land on a flat-topped mountain located about 100 miles from the moon’s south pole. Had the landing been successful, it would have marked the closest landing to the south pole to date. The spacecraft was equipped with instruments designed to pull and analyze lunar soil, searching for frozen water and other essential compounds in the area.

This week also saw another lunar touchdown attempt by a private U.S. company, SpaceX, which attempted to launch a massive Starship rocket. Unfortunately, the test flight ended in failure as the spacecraft lost contact minutes into the flight and subsequently exploded over Florida.

Deployment of the MAPP Rover

Athena was expected to deploy a rover known as the Mobile Autonomous Payload Platform (MAPP). This four-wheeled vehicle, developed by Colorado-based Lunar Outpost, was designed to test cellular communications equipment in the lunar environment and create a 3D map of the moon’s surface. If all had gone according to plan, MAPP would have significantly contributed to lunar exploration.

Significance of the Lunar Voyage

“Lunar Voyage 1 is not just about exploration — it’s about proving that private industry can operate, sustain, and create economic value on the moon,” stated Lunar Outpost CEO Justin Cyrus. “These historic accomplishments are vital for establishing real-world lunar infrastructure, resource utilization, and planetary mobility — essential steps toward a lasting human presence beyond Earth.”

NASA’s PRIME-1 Experiment

One of the critical components of Athena was NASA’s PRIME-1 experiment, a drill designed to penetrate the moon’s surface and search for water ice while analyzing soil samples. This information is crucial for scientists aiming to better understand lunar resources. Evidence of water on the moon is of particular interest to NASA as it prepares for future astronaut missions, including the Artemis program, which aims to train astronauts on the moon as a precursor to sending them to Mars.

“The real goal is Mars,” remarked retired NASA astronaut Steven Swanson regarding the Artemis program. “We will use the moon as a testbed because Mars is a very difficult mission.” The challenges of Mars exploration underscore the importance of successful lunar missions like Athena, which could pave the way for future interplanetary travel.

For more details on this mission and its implications, you can read the original article here.