A photo of the Athena moon lander lying on its side has confirmed that the spacecraft suffered a fatal mishap. The incident occurred during the lander’s descent, leaving it 800 feet from its intended target near Mons Mouton.
The failure highlights concerns about NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to deliver scientific instruments to the Moon at a lower cost. Only one CLPS mission, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander, has met its science goals without significant issues so far.
Athena’s predecessor, Odysseus, also experienced a similar failure last year. Intuitive Machines’ landers have struggled with landing, and a previous Astrobotic Technology mission failed to reach the Moon due to a propulsion malfunction.
The incident led to a 20% drop in Intuitive Machines’ shares on Thursday, and shares continued to slide on Friday. NASA officials emphasized that commercial missions serve as a learning experience for future lunar exploration. However, the setbacks raise questions about the viability of NASA’s strategy for lunar exploration.
The space agency has invested heavily in robotic missions, including the Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER), designed to analyze lunar water resources. VIPER’s future remains uncertain due to funding concerns.
Source: https://petapixel.com/2025/03/10/photo-shows-stricken-athena-moon-lander-lying-on-its-side