A privately built lunar lander, Athena, experienced a challenging landing on the Moon’s surface last week. The software recognized nearby craters but failed to accurately measure its altitude above the surface due to an altimeter malfunction.
The lander struck the lunar surface, toppling over and skidding across the terrain before coming to a stop in a crater. This led to damage from regolith, which was blown onto the solar panels, limiting power reserves. The team at Intuitive Machines quickly realized their spacecraft’s dire situation due to cold temperatures and reduced charging capacity of the solar arrays.
“The landing was kind of like sliding into second base,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. Despite a successful soft landing last year with its Odysseus vehicle, Athena’s mission was marred by technical issues.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/03/athena-landed-in-a-dark-crater-where-the-temperature-was-minus-280-f