On March 7, Intuitive Machines (IM) announced that its second lunar exploration mission ended when the lander crashed, leaving its solar batteries unable to recharge. This is the second time in a row that the company has encountered a similar problem.
This mission has been highly anticipated by space researchers thanks to its advanced technological equipment, including unmanned devices capable of "leapfrogging", many ground probes, ice drills and 4G network testing systems.
The hexagonal-shaped Athena lander, which was as tall as a giraffe, was supposed to land on the Mons Mouton plateau – the closest point ever to the Moon’s South Pole. However, after launching from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and traveling more than a million kilometres through space, the lander crashed into a crater 250 metres from its original target and landed face down on the lunar surface.
Images released by the company show Athena lying on its side on a slope, with the Earth visible between its splayed landing legs — a similar situation to that of its Odysseus spacecraft in February 2024.
Despite the problems, the teams were able to carry out several important experiments, including NASA's attempt to drill deep into the lunar surface in search of ice and chemicals, before Athena's batteries ran out.
According to IM, given the direction of the Sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and the extremely cold temperatures in the crater, Athena will have difficulty recharging its batteries. The company declared the mission over and teams are continuing to evaluate the data collected.
The scientific experiments and technological tests were originally scheduled to last about 10 days, with plans to photograph the eclipse from the Moon's perspective on March 14.
The latest failure is all the more unfortunate, as just days earlier, competitor Firefly Aerospace, also based in Texas, successfully landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on its first test. The missions are part of NASA’s $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Cargo Services (CLPS) program, which aims to leverage the capabilities of the private sector to reduce costs and support the Artemis program, NASA’s effort to return astronauts to the Moon and eventually Mars.
Of the four CLPS missions conducted to date, only one has had a successful vertical landing, two have had inclined landings, and one has failed to reach the Moon.
According to Thanh Tung/VNA
Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/tau-do-bo-bi-do-khi-tham-do-mat-trang/20250309122033035
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