Athena Lander's Crater Grave Captured from Lunar Orbit

The Athena lunar lander, built by Intuitive Machines, was recently spotted from lunar orbit lying sideways inside a crater near the Moon's south pole, where it met its untimely end. Launched on February 26, 2025, as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, Athena touched down on March 6, 2025, approximately 250 meters (820 feet) from its intended landing site on Mons Mouton, a plateau about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the lunar south pole. This marked the southernmost landing ever achieved on the Moon, but the mission quickly faltered.

Here's a breakdown of the situation with the Intuitive Machines "Athena" moon lander:

• Landing and Outcome:
  • The Athena lander, the IM-2 mission from Intuitive Machines, landed on the moon on March 6, 2025.
  • Unfortunately, it tipped over during touchdown and came to rest on its side within a small crater near the moon's south pole, in the Mons Mouton region.
  • This orientation prevented the solar panels from receiving sufficient sunlight, leading to battery depletion.
  • Intuitive Machines declared the mission concluded on March 7, 2025.
• Observations from Lunar Orbit:
  • NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of Athena's final resting place within the crater.
  • These images provide visual confirmation of the lander's position and condition.
• Mission Context:
  • The IM-2 mission was part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to deliver science instruments to the moon using private landers.
  • Athena carried several payloads, including NASA's PRIME-1 drill, intended to study lunar water ice.
  • Although the mission ended prematurely, some data was gathered, and the mission provided valuable learning experiences for future lunar exploration.
• Challenges of the Lunar South Pole:
  • The lunar south pole is a challenging environment due to its rugged terrain, harsh sunlight angles, and limited communication with Earth.
  • Despite the setback, Intuitive Machines and NASA emphasized the importance of exploring this region, which is believed to contain significant water ice deposits.

In essence, while the Athena lander's mission was cut short, the data gathered and the lessons learned will contribute to future lunar exploration efforts.