Moon lander Athena lands sideways in crater

houston - Athena moon lander by Intuitive Machines lands on moon's south pole, unable to recharge, with insights on future manned missions.

Athena Moon Lander Mission

The commercial moon lander Athena, operated by Intuitive Machines, landed on its side in a crater at the moon's south pole. The company states that due to the position of the sun, direction of the solar panels, and extreme cold in the crater, Athena is unlikely to recharge.

Being the southernmost moon landing ever, this location is crucial for manned missions due to abundant sunlight and areas of perpetual shadow with water ice. However, maintaining communication with Earth's mission control is challenging.

Last year, Intuitive Machines made history with the successful landing of the Odysseus lander, which also encountered a slight tilt due to a broken foot. Recently, the Blue Ghost lander from Firefly Aerospace landed on the moon as well.