US company's lunar mission cut short after Athena spacecraft lands on its side

A US company has cut short its lunar mission only a day after landing, because its Athena lander touched down on its side.

It was Intuitive Machines’ second attempt to land on the Moon, following last year’s mission in which the spacecraft also ended up on its side.

A picture beamed back from Athena before it powered down shows the vehicle's legs pointing upwards, and Earth in the background.

The vehicle landed near the Moon's south pole region, an area that space agencies are interested in due to its water ice deposits. These might be able to support future human missions with vital resources such as water, oxygen and the production of rocket fuel.

“With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the solar panels and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge,” the company said in a statement. “The mission has concluded and teams are continuing to assess the data collected.”

The mission, known as IM-2, was part of Nasa's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme, which contracts private companies to deliver scientific instruments and technology to the lunar surface.

Athena was carrying new technologies to be tested during the mission, including tools that would have drilled into the lunar surface and analysed potential water ice deposits.

It was also going to deploy a small robotic hopper named Grace, which would have made its way to a permanently shadowed crater to scan for water ice.

“While we’re disappointed in the outcome of the IM-2 mission, we remain committed to supporting our commercial vendors as they navigate the very difficult task of landing and operating on the Moon,” Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration in Nasa's Science Mission Directorate, said. Mr Kearns said the CLPS programme was helping to create a lunar economy.

Landing on the Moon is challenging due to its lack of atmosphere, which means spacecraft cannot rely on parachutes and must use thrusters for descent. The unpredictable terrain and limited real-time control from Earth also increases the risk of failure.

Firefly Aerospace, another company in the CLPS programme, managed to land successfully on the Moon with its Blue Ghost vehicle on March 2. It sent back footage of a gentle landing in the Mare Crisium region, showing the lander’s shadow stretching across the lunar surface, with Earth in the distance.

The successful landing was made possible because the vehicle was equipped with hazard detection sensors and real-time mapping technology, allowing it to select a secure landing site on arrival.

Amar Vora, head of space at consultancy company Serco Middle East, said this kind of technology is a “game-changer” for lunar missions.

“These technologies enable landers to adjust and adapt mid-descent, avoiding obstacles, and can ensure pinpoint accuracy. Compared to past attempts, these technologies significantly reduce risk, improving mission success rates,” he told The National in an earlier interview.

Only a small number of countries and private companies have successfully landed on the moon, including the US, the former Soviet Union, China, India, Japan and the two US companies.

Intuitive Machines’ mission last year was the first time a US vehicle had landed on the Moon since the Apollo era ended in 1972.

Japan’s ispace will attempt the world’s fourth lunar landing by a company on June 6. Its maiden attempt in 2023 failed when a software glitch caused it to crash on the surface. It was carrying international payloads, including the UAE’s first rover, Rashid.

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