Intuitive Machines IM-2 Athena Lander Tips Over at Lunar South Pole
74 FOMOIntuitive Machines' Nova-C lander Athena touched down at Mons Mouton near the lunar south pole on March 6, 2025 — the southernmost lunar landing ever — but settled on its side inside a small crater ~250 m from the target site after an altimeter failure. Power depleted within 13 hours. NASA's PRIME-1 drill could not operate, though 250 MB of data was returned. The company's second consecutive sideways landing.
Details
Mission
- Vehicle
- Nova-C (Athena)
- Payload
- PRIME-1 drill + mass spectrometer, MAPP rover, Nokia 4G, Grace hopper
- Orbit
- Lunar surface — Mons Mouton
Coverage
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NASA ·
NASA Receives Some Data Before Intuitive Machines Ends Lunar MissionNASA confirmed Intuitive Machines' IM-2 Athena lander ended operations less than 13 hours after landing at Mons Mouton. The lander settled on its side in a crater ~250 m off-target after an altimeter failure. Despite the anomaly, 250 MB of science data was returned and PRIME-1 demonstrated full hardware range of motion. Mission contract value: $62.5M.
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Spaceflight Now ·
Intuitive Machines' IM-2 Moon mission ends with lander on its sideSpaceflight Now coverage of IM-2 mission end: Athena landed on its side ~820 ft from its intended site inside a shadowed crater at Mons Mouton. The orientation prevented sufficient solar power generation in the crater's cold shadows. Intuitive Machines' stock fell 20% on the news. MAPP rover and Grace hopper could not be deployed.
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NPR ·
Intuitive Machines sends another probe to the moon, but can't stick the landingNPR's account of the IM-2 landing anomaly, covering the moment mission control reported "we don't believe we're in the correct attitude." Context on why south pole landings are uniquely difficult — permanent shadows, terrain complexity, and limited solar power margins. Notes Firefly's successful Blue Ghost landing just days prior.
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Veenie.Space Telemetry
Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander Athena touched down at Mons Mouton near the lunar south pole on Ma