Ill-Fated Moon Lander Unexpectedly Woke Up and Sent One Last Message

Space can be an unforgiving place. Last week, a lunar lander skidded across the surface of the Moon and ended up in a cold, dark crater, ending its mission before it began. Now, details newly revealed by Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines relay its Athena lander’s final moments and how the spacecraft briefly sputtered to life after powering down. Athena touched down on the lunar surface on Thursday, March 6, following a week-long journey to the Moon. The lander ended up on its side in a shallow crater in the Moon’s Mons Mouton region, 820 feet (250 meters) from its targeted landing site. Less than a day after its touchdown, Athena was declared dead. But now, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus has revealed that the company’s lunar lander wasn’t dead on arrival, and that the “mission pressed forward” before its untimely end. Intuitive Machines also released a 360-degree image of Athena’s descent that was stitched together using the lander’s four on-board cameras. On ... Read full article.