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Intuitive Machines’ second Moon mission seems to have gone as well as the first
It appears that the Athena lander has successfully touched down on the lunar surface, although it may not be in the desired upright position. This is eerily reminiscent of the company’s previous attempt, Odysseus, which also toppled over upon landing.
According to CEO Steve Altemus, the data from the inertial measurement unit suggests that Athena may have landed sideways. However, this has yet to be officially confirmed with an image from the lunar reconnaissance orbital camera.
Despite the initial setback, it seems that Athena has still managed to make contact with Earth and is currently charging its power source. Unfortunately, performance appears to be sub-optimal, which could impact the overall success of the mission.
“We’re not getting everything we had asked for in terms of power generation and communications,” Altemus explained during a post-landing press conference.
To mitigate this issue, the team has taken steps to conserve power and extend the lifespan of the lander’s ten-day mission. This includes determining which payloads and instruments are still functional.
Despite these challenges, it appears that Athena is on the surface and in contact with Earth.
