Intuitive Machines’ probe flipped over on moon landing – becoming a bad tradition

Intuitive Machines reported that an attempt to land the Athena lander on the moon’s surface on March 6 ended in it tipping over. The module was on an inclined trajectory and may have touched the moon’s surface at a high lateral velocity. The batteries were running low at the time of landing, and the fall eliminated the possibility of recharging the batteries from the sun.

Image source: Intuitive Machines

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The failed landing means Athena cannot recharge itself efficiently from its solar panels. “Given the direction of the Sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and the extremely cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge itself,” the statement said.

«”The mission is now complete and teams are continuing to evaluate the data collected during the mission,” Intuitive Machines added. The company also noted that the lander landed in the lunar south pole, which has rugged terrain and “sharp solar tilts and limited direct communication with Earth.” According to preliminary estimates, the craft landed 250 meters from its intended landing site inside a crater.

«Athena suffered the same fate as Intuitive Machines’ first lunar lander, Odyssey. The first module also tipped over, which led to similar consequences – the inability to recharge the batteries and the rapid end of the mission. The company made dozens of important improvements to the design of the module, but they were not enough to safely land the second device on the Moon.