Intuitive Machines confirms Athena moon landing, but status unclear

Reuters
Reuters

Intuitive Machines' Athena lander has reached the moon, but its status remains unclear after a tense landing, marking the company's second lunar attempt.

Houston-based Intuitive Machines confirmed that its Athena lander touched down on the moon, though details about its condition and orientation are still unknown.

The six-legged lander, carrying 11 scientific payloads, aimed for a site 100 miles from the lunar south pole, targeting touchdown at 12:32 p.m. ET. However, telemetry data showed its engine was still running, suggesting it hovered before finally shutting down.

The company ended its livestream without confirming if Athena had landed upright. A press conference is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET for further updates.

Athena launched on February 26 aboard a SpaceX rocket, following the company’s Odysseus mission last year, which ended with a hard landing.

NASA has funded Intuitive Machines and other private firms to develop low-cost lunar spacecraft as part of its broader push for astronaut missions to the moon later this decade.

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