WASHINGTON: The second moon landing by Intuitive Machines appears to have suffered the same fate as its first try last year, with data indicating the Athena lander ended on its side on the lunar surface after problems with its laser rangefinders, the US company said on Thursday.

The six-legged Athena lander, carrying 11 payloads and scientific instruments, touched down at a site some 100 miles from the lunar south pole after launching atop a SpaceX rocket on Feb 26 from Florida.

“We don’t believe we’re in the correct attitude on the surface of the moon, yet again,” Steve Altemus, CEO of the Houston-based startup, told a news conference.

Intuitive Machines is one of many companies primed by Nasa to return the United States to the moon, with greater private sector involvement seen as a lower cost but higher risk means of spaceflight.

Altemus said the lander sent some data back to Earth that indicated it was not upright. Specifically, he said, data from an instrument called the Inertial Measurement Unit, or IMU, “says we’re oriented somewhat on our side.” “The IMU measurement was the piece of data that gave us the most clarity ... so we think that’s the case,” Altemus added.

Power generation issues due to the position of the lander would mean the mission would be “off-nominal,” Altemus said, adding that there were “challenges” with the laser rangefinders, which are used to measure precise distances.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025