NASA’s IM-2 lunar mission ended early after its lander, Athena, landed on its side, limiting full operations. Some data was collected before power depletion.
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| NASA’s Athena lander, part of the IM-2 mission, transmitted data before shutting down after landing on its side near the Moon’s South Pole. Image: NASA |
Washington, USA — March 8, 2025:
NASA’s IM-2 lunar mission ended earlier than planned after the lander, Athena, touched down off-target and on its side, limiting its ability to conduct full operations. Despite the setback, some scientific data was successfully collected before the mission was officially concluded, NASA announced on Friday.
Athena, part of Intuitive Machines’ second lunar delivery for NASA under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis program, landed approximately 400 meters from its intended Mons Mouton site on March 6. Images later confirmed the lander had come to rest on its side, preventing it from fully operating its instruments before its batteries depleted.
“Our targeted landing site near the lunar South Pole is one of the most scientifically interesting yet geographically challenging locations on the Moon,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters. “Every mission provides valuable lessons that help advance our efforts in space exploration.”
Before shutting down, Athena transmitted images and enabled partial activation of onboard instruments. NASA’s PRIME-1 suite, which includes the TRIDENT drill, demonstrated its full range of motion in lunar conditions. The Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) detected elements likely originating from the lander’s propulsion system.
Despite the premature end, NASA officials emphasized that the mission still provided useful insights for future lunar exploration. “Testing technologies in real lunar conditions is crucial,” said Clayton Turner, NASA associate administrator for space technology. “The data gathered will inform future missions.”
Intuitive Machines, which managed the launch, landing, and operations under its CLPS contract, was able to retrieve 250 megabytes of scientific data before losing communication. NASA’s Laser Retroreflector Array, a passive instrument designed to serve as a reference point on the lunar surface, will remain affixed to the lander.
NASA and Intuitive Machines are preparing for upcoming lunar deliveries, with IM-3 scheduled for 2026 and IM-4 for 2027. The CLPS program has so far awarded contracts to five vendors for 11 lunar deliveries, sending more than 50 instruments to various locations, including the Moon’s South Pole and far side.
The IM-2 mission launched on February 26 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.