A US startup’s moon landing mission has suffered its second setback in as many years after the Athena lander ended up on its side on the lunar surface. The Intuitive Machines company, which is one of NASA’s key players in returning to the moon, announced that problems with laser rangefinders caused the issue.
The six-legged Athena lander touched down at a site 100 miles from the lunar south pole after launching atop a SpaceX rocket. However, data showed it was not upright, and power generation issues due to its position would make the mission “off-nominal”.
CEO Steve Altemus said that challenges with laser rangefinders were partly to blame for the problem. The company may delay its third lunar landing mission next year if they need more time to deploy a communications satellite.
Despite this setback, Intuitive Machines’ CEO Tim Crain described the flight as successful and praised advancements in crater-recognition algorithms. The first attempt by Intuitive Machines last year was also unsuccessful due to a faulty laser altimeter.
The company’s shares fell sharply after the announcement, dropping 36% to $7. Other private companies, including Firefly Aerospace, are building lunar spacecraft under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, with an aim to reduce costs and increase efficiency in space exploration.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/intuitive-machines-athena-lander-closing-lunar-touchdown-site-2025-03-06