- Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander has reached the moon but landed on its side, repeating a similar issue from its first mission, potentially limiting power generation and science operations. The six-legged lander’s design has raised questions about stability.
- Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander made a stable touchdown days earlier, using precision landing technology to avoid obstacles and deploy instruments immediately.
- Athena’s compromised position hinders data transmission, forcing NASA scientists to prioritize instruments, while Intuitive Machines faces credibility challenges and potential financial consequences.
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Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander reached the moon on Thursday, March 6, but landed on its side, repeating a similar issue from the company’s first lunar mission last year.
The six-legged lander touched down about 100 miles from the moon’s south pole, but data shows that it came to rest at an unintended angle, potentially limiting power generation and science operations.
Unlike squat, low-profile landers designed for stability, Athena is over 15 feet tall and just over 5 feet wide, making it more susceptible to tipping over on uneven terrain. CEO Steve Altemus defended the design, saying its center of gravity remains low due to cargo placement. However, the repeated issue has raised questions about whether the structure needs modification.
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What makes Firefly’s Blue Ghost landing different?
Just days before Athena’s rough arrival, Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander made a stable touchdown in the Mare Crisium region. Unlike Athena, Blue Ghost remained upright, immediately deployed instruments and began transmitting data within hours.
Firefly’s success stems from precision landing technology. The spacecraft used terrain-relative navigation, actively scanning the surface for obstacles and adjusting its descent in real time. The system executed two hazard-avoidance maneuvers before touching down within 100 meters of its target — a sharp contrast to Athena’s less adaptive approach.
Blue Ghost is now carrying out a full slate of NASA experiments, including subsurface drilling and X-ray imaging. Firefly’s ability to land stably and begin work immediately highlights the growing divide between private space firms proving mission reliability and those still struggling with fundamental landing challenges.
Can Athena still conduct experiments?
Despite its compromised position, Athena is not completely inoperable. The lander is generating power, though at a lower rate than expected. NASA scientists are now assessing which instruments might still function, including:
- Polar resources ice mining experiment-1 (PRIME-1): A drill meant to analyze lunar soil for water ice. It could still operate if the drill is positioned favorably.
- Laser retroreflector array (LRA): A passive instrument that bounces laser signals back to Earth, which does not require active power.
- Mobile autonomous prospecting platform (MAPP): A four-wheeled rover designed to scout the terrain. If deployed successfully, it could continue mapping the lunar surface.
- 4G/LTE communications network: A Nokia-built lunar cellular base station, intended to test mobile network connectivity on the moon. Its functionality depends on whether Athena’s compromised position allows for proper antenna alignment.
However, the lander’s position and limited power supply could hinder data transmission, leaving mission controllers with difficult choices about which instruments to prioritize.
What does this mean for NASA’s CLPS program?
Athena and Blue Ghost are both part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which outsources lunar landings to private companies in an effort to reduce costs and accelerate moon exploration. These missions serve as proving grounds for future Artemis program landers, which will carry astronauts to the moon’s surface.
With two missions and two drastically different outcomes, the program’s risks and rewards are becoming clearer.
- Firefly’s success strengthens its position as a reliable CLPS partner, proving that private landers can meet mission objectives if designed properly.
- Intuitive Machines faces credibility challenges — while NASA still considers the mission valuable, its repeated landing issues could affect future contracts.
- Intuitive Machines has already received 90% of its $120 million contract, but some milestone payments depend on operational payloads.
- If Athena’s power issues prevent key experiments from functioning, the company could see financial and reputational consequences.
What comes next?
NASA and its commercial partners will be watching how Intuitive Machines handles the setback.
With Artemis missions on the horizon, private landings are critical tests for the future of long-term lunar operations. While Firefly Aerospace builds on its success, Intuitive Machines must refine its approach — or risk falling behind in the race to the moon.
