Shares of Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based space exploration outfit, took a 24% nosedive on Friday after the company confirmed that its second moon lander, Athena, pulled a repeat performance of last year’s debut mission, landing on its side instead of sticking the upright touchdown they’d hoped for.
Athena, a six-legged robotic spacecraft about 15 feet tall, touched down Thursday on a rugged patch of the moon roughly 100 miles from its south pole, closer to that icy frontier than any spacecraft has ever ventured.
That’s a big deal! The lunar south pole is a hot spot for scientists because it’s thought to harbor water ice in its shadowy craters, a potential goldmine for future missions needing hydration or rocket fuel. Athena carried 11 payloads, including a NASA drill to sniff out that ice, a Nokia cellular network (yes, a phone signal on the moon!), and even a hopping drone to bounce around the terrain.
Despite hitting several mission milestones, Athena ended up on its side. “With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge,” the company said in a statement.
Translation? Those solar panels, now likely pointing the wrong way, can’t soak up enough sunlight to keep the batteries humming in the moon’s frigid darkness. It’s not a crash, Athena’s still in one piece, but it’s a far cry from the upright victory pose they’d envisioned.
At a news conference, CEO Steve Altemus sounded like a coach reviewing a tough game. “We’re trying to evaluate exactly what happened in that last bit,” said Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain, noting that laser instruments measuring altitude got “noisy” during the descent, tech-speak for glitchy data that might’ve thrown off the landing.
Altemus added that a sensor called an inertial measurement unit hinted strongly at the tip-over, though early data was confusing. Think of it like your car’s dashboard flashing mixed signals, did we park, or did we skid?
If this sounds familiar, it’s because Intuitive Machines has been here before. Last year, their first lander, Odysseus, made history as the first privately operated craft to soft-land on the moon.
But yep, you guessed it, it toppled over too, cutting its mission short. “We were expecting a fully successful landing this time,” Crain admitted, pointing out that Athena had been cruising smoother than Odysseus until that final tumble.
It’s a tough break for a team that’s clearly got the chops to get to the moon but hasn’t quite stuck the landing, literally.
So, what’s the damage?
Well, the spacecraft’s power woes mean it’s not generating as much juice as planned, likely because those misaligned solar panels can’t catch the sun’s rays.
Altemus isn’t throwing in the towel yet, though. “When we get that full assessment, we’ll work closely with NASA to identify science objectives that are the highest priority,” he said.
Translation: they’re hoping to salvage some data from this lunar leaner. NASA’s Lunar
Reconnaissance Orbiter will soon snap pics of the site to pinpoint Athena’s exact spot on Mons Mouton, a high plateau near the south pole, and onboard cameras might shed more light on its awkward pose.
Why it matters: The bigger picture
This isn’t just about one wonky lander, it’s part of NASA’s grand plan to reboot lunar exploration on a budget. Through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, NASA’s outsourcing moon deliveries to private companies like Intuitive Machines, Firefly Aerospace, and others.
The idea?
Slash costs and spark a lunar economy while prepping for human landings under the Artemis program, slated for 2027. Intuitive’s contract for Athena was worth up to $62.5 million, though they might not pocket the full amount if the mission falls short.
The stakes are high. That NASA drill on Athena was set to dig into lunar soil and test for water ice and other goodies, stuff that could sustain astronauts or fuel rockets. Clayton Turner, a bigwig at NASA’s space tech division, stayed optimistic: “It doesn’t have to be directly where I can drill straight down. There are other options we can use.”
Fingers crossed, because finding water on the moon could be a game-changer. A 2020 study in Nature Astronomy estimated there could be 40,000 square kilometers of water ice in lunar polar regions—enough to fill a small lake if melted down.
And let’s talk numbers: Intuitive Machines isn’t alone in this lunar race. Firefly Aerospace nailed a landing in the Mare Crisium region just days ago, on Sunday, proving the CLPS model can work. “Any time humanity puts a lander on the moon, it’s a good day,”
Crain said, tipping his hat to the competition. Meanwhile, Japan’s Ispace has a lander, Resilience, en route for a May touchdown, and more missions from Astrobotic and Blue Origin are queued up. It’s a lunar traffic jam, and that’s a good thing.
Back on Earth, Wall Street wasn’t feeling the love. Intuitive Machines’ stock had soared over 100% in the past year, buoyed by lunar hype, but Thursday’s 20% dip and Friday’s 24% plunge erased a chunk of those gains.
If losses hold, it’ll be the biggest drop in over a year. Investors hate uncertainty, and a tipped-over lander screams “uh-oh” louder than a rocket launch.
Speaking of rockets, it was a rough week for Elon Musk’s SpaceX too. On Thursday, their massive Starship rocket, the world’s largest, exploded minutes after liftoff, scattering debris off Florida and the Bahamas.
It’s their second straight failure, a stark contrast to the Falcon 9 rockets reliably hauling Intuitive’s landers skyward. Space is hard, folks, and this week’s proving it.
Looking ahead, Intuitive’s not done dreaming big. Their third mission, set for 2026 under CLPS, might get pushed back, Altemus hinted, to sync up with a company communications satellite.
But NASA’s keeping the faith, they’ve already tapped Intuitive for a fourth mission in 2027 to probe the origins of water in our solar system. That’s a vote of confidence in a team that’s stumbled but keeps getting up.
So, where does this leave us?
Athena didn’t crash, but its sideways sprawl might limit its science haul. Still, every misstep teaches something. As Crain put it, “We’re learning as we go.” And with the moon buzzing with private landers, humanity’s lunar comeback is picking up steam, tumbles and all.
Stay tuned, because this space saga’s far from over. What do you think, can they nail it next time? Hit me up with your thoughts!
