This week’s image is from earlier today when Intuitive Machines’ Athena lunar lander was approaching the Moon’s South Pole. The good news is that the lander made it safely to the surface. However, the lunar lander may have landed in an odd way, creating solar generating issues similar to the company’s first attempt at landing this time last year.
NASA and Intuitive Machines are still trying to determine the status of the lander as well as its exact location. The lander’s goal was to land in Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau near the Moon’s South Pole. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter should help to pinpoint the lander’s location and orientation in the next few days.
Hopefully, some if not all of the planned experiments are still possible. But for now it’s just a matter of waiting for more news on the mission.
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