The Athena probe from Intuitive Machines has landed on its side, an off-nominal angle.
Technical Report: IM-2 Lunar Landing and Initial Assessment
Date: March 7, 2025
Preview: Landing
Three minutes prior to the scheduled touchdown at 17:27 UTC on March 6, the Athena lander initiated its terminal descent. During this phase, a significant plume of lunar dust was generated, which interfered with the vehicle’s navigation systems. Specifically, the dust obscured the lasers and rangefinders, hindering their ability to provide accurate distance and velocity measurements. Additionally, the dust plume disrupted radio signal transmission, resulting in a period of communication loss. Following this blackout, confirmation was received that Athena had successfully landed, was detecting lunar surface gravity, and was generating power. However, it was also reported that one of the two radio antennae had experienced a signal loss. In response to these anomalies, the Intuitive Machines team placed Athena into a power-saving “safe mode” as a precautionary measure, anticipating a potential tip-over similar to the IM-1 mission. After 38 minutes of troubleshooting, it was determined that Athena was not generating sufficient power. At 21:00 UTC, NASA and Intuitive Machines conducted a press conference to provide an update on Athena’s status. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus reported that Athena was not in the “correct attitude,” indicating that the solar panels were not optimally oriented towards the sun. Despite this, the lander had commenced scientific experiments, albeit at a reduced capacity due to the power constraints.
1. Introduction
This report details the landing of Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission, designated “Athena,” on the lunar surface, and provides an initial assessment of the lander’s status. The mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, aimed to deliver scientific payloads to the Mons Mouton region near the lunar south pole.
2. Mission Overview
- Launch: Athena launched on February 26, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- Landing Date and Time: March 6, 2025, at 12:31 p.m. EST (1731 GMT).
- Landing Location: Mons Mouton region, lunar south pole.
- Mission Objective: To collect data on the lunar environment, particularly the presence and accessibility of water ice, in support of NASA’s Artemis program.
- CLPS Contract Value: $62.5 million.
- Primary Payload: Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment (PRIME-1), consisting of a drill and mass spectrometer.
3. Landing Event and Initial Status
- Athena successfully achieved a soft landing on the lunar surface.
- Telemetry indicates the lander is transmitting data and generating power.
- However, initial analysis suggests the lander did not achieve a fully upright orientation as planned, resulting in an “off-nominal” angle.
- The generation of a large dust plume during terminal descent impacted navigation and communication.
- One of two radio antennae lost signal.
- The lander is generating less power than expected, due to the off nominal angle of the solar panels.
- The mission team is currently analyzing data to determine the precise orientation and implications for mission operations.
- This landing represents the second lunar landing by Intuitive Machines in slightly over a year, and the second landing to result in an off nominal angle.
4. Payload Description: PRIME-1
- PRIME-1 is designed to investigate the presence of water ice in the lunar subsurface.
- The payload includes:
- A drill capable of extracting regolith from depths of approximately 0.9 meters.
- A mass spectrometer for analyzing the composition of the extracted samples, with a focus on detecting water ice and other volatile compounds.
5. Significance of Landing Location
- Mons Mouton is located approximately 160 kilometers from the lunar south pole.
- The south pole region is of significant interest due to the potential presence of substantial water ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters.
- Data collected by Athena will contribute to understanding the distribution and accessibility of these resources, crucial for future human exploration missions.
6. Preliminary Assessment and Future Operations
- Despite the off-nominal landing angle, the lander’s ability to transmit data and generate power is a positive indicator.
- Further analysis is required to assess the impact of the lander’s orientation on the operation of PRIME-1.
- The mission team will continue to monitor the lander’s status and adapt operational procedures as necessary.
- The data collected will be used to better understand the lunar south pole environment, and to help prepare for future Artemis missions.
- Power management is a critical issue that the team will continue to address.
7. Conclusion
The IM-2 mission has achieved a significant milestone with its successful lunar landing. While the lander’s orientation and power generation require further investigation, the mission’s objectives of gathering critical scientific data remain achievable. Ongoing analysis and operational adjustments will be crucial for maximizing the mission’s scientific return.
