The Athena mission from Intuitive Machines may have concluded sooner than anticipated, but it has not been without its silver linings. On March 6, the mission attempted a landing at the lunar south pole but ended up landing sideways. Despite this unfortunate orientation, the lander successfully transmitted images from the lunar surface before its mission came to an unexpected halt just one day post-touchdown.
The sideways landing of the Athena lander created significant challenges, particularly in generating power. The position of its solar arrays rendered it unable to harness energy effectively, which ultimately led to the premature end of the mission. Nevertheless, updates indicate that the tiny Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP) rover, which was onboard the lander, managed to return valuable data prior to the depletion of power.
Lunar Outpost, the U.S. space exploration company behind the MAPP rover, announced that their Lunar Voyage 1 MAPP rover successfully reached the moon, where it collected crucial data from both the lunar surface and during transit. The rover demonstrated its readiness for mobility, showcasing that it was prepared to operate on the moon if not for the unfortunate positioning of the Athena lander, which hindered its deployment.
The statement from Lunar Outpost emphasized that the data collected by MAPP provides a comprehensive picture of its survival during the landing attempt. "MAPP survived the landing attempt and would have driven on the lunar surface and achieved our mission objectives had it been given the opportunity," they stated. This data is instrumental for future missions, as it validates a variety of systems and components essential for upcoming lunar explorations.
While the Athena mission faced significant challenges, Lunar Outpost is optimistic about future endeavors. The company has outlined several upcoming missions, including Lunar Voyage 2 to explore the lunar region Reiner Gamma, Lunar Voyage 3 aimed at revisiting the lunar south pole, and Lunar Voyage 4, which will mark the first Australian rover mission to the moon. Lunar Outpost expressed enthusiasm about showcasing their mobility systems and the capabilities they bring to space exploration.
Intuitive Machines is gearing up for its third mission, scheduled to launch as early as late this year. This mission will include Lunar Outpost's Lunar Voyage 2 rover, paving the way for further advancements in lunar exploration. Despite the setbacks of the Athena mission, the data and experiences gained will undoubtedly contribute to the success of future lunar endeavors.
