Intuitive Machines‘ latest attempt at a Moon landing ended in disappointment as its Athena spacecraft tipped over upon touchdown, mirroring its first lunar setback last year. The Houston-based company confirmed Friday that the solar-powered lander is unable to recharge, cutting the mission short.
The setback marks a premature end to what had been an ambitious effort, featuring cutting-edge experiments, including a hopping drone, ice drill, multiple rovers, and a 4G network test. Athena had aimed for a historic landing on the Mons Mouton plateau, closer to the Moon’s south pole than any previous mission.
But after launching aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and traveling over a million kilometers, Athena stumbled at the final hurdle. It came down at an awkward angle, landing face-first into a crater at least 250 meters from its intended spot.
Faulty instruments, familiar problems
NASA’s associate administrator for science, Nicky Fox, remained optimistic despite the setback. “Each success and setback are opportunities to learn and grow,” she said, emphasizing the mission’s role in shaping future lunar and Mars exploration.
Athena’s laser navigation system appears to have contributed to the botched landing—an issue eerily similar to Intuitive Machines’ previous failure with its Odysseus lander in February 2024. The system, designed to measure altitude and velocity, provided unreliable data, making precise landing difficult.
NASA was able to power on the ice drill and move it around but couldn’t use it for its intended purpose. The mission was originally expected to last 10 days, capturing a lunar eclipse from the Moon’s surface on March 14.
Texas rival succeeds as CLPS struggles
The failure came just days after Texas-based Firefly Aerospace successfully landed its Blue Ghost lander, intensifying scrutiny on Intuitive Machines’ designs.
These missions fall under NASA’s $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to leverage private industry for lunar exploration and Artemis program support. Of the four CLPS missions attempted so far, only one lander has managed an upright touchdown, while two, including Athena, landed sideways, and one failed entirely.
Adding to the ill-fated voyage, two probes that hitched a ride with Athena—NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer and the private Odin probe—have also been lost.
Despite the setback, Intuitive Machines remains committed, with two more Moon missions in the pipeline. The company now faces a critical review of IM-2’s data to determine what went wrong—and whether it can finally stick the landing next time.
