Space can be an unforgiving place. Last week, a lunar lander skidded across the surface of the Moon and ended up in a cold, dark crater, ending its mission before it began. Now, details newly revealed by Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines relay its Athena lander’s final moments and how the spacecraft briefly sputtered to […]
Intuitive Machines Moon Lander Confirmed Dead After Toppling on Its Side
Less than a day after Intuitive Machines landed on the Moon, the company declared an early end to its mission after its Athena spacecraft would up lying sideways on the lunar surface. Athena touched down on the Moon on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. ET. Its landing was less than ideal, however, as the lander ended […]
Wednesday’s Stacked SpaceX Launch Is Sending Groundbreaking Science to the Moon and Beyond
Should Wednesday’s launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center proceed as planned, it’s gonna be carrying a buttload of science with it. The rocket will be carrying not one, not two, but three important payloads, including a satellite set to orbit the Moon, a privately operated lunar lander, and a spacecraft […]
Meet Grace, the Hopping Robot That Will Dive Into the Moon’s Darkest Craters
Meet Grace, the brave hopper robot that’s designed to jump into the darkest depths of the Moon, providing never-before-seen views of permanently shadowed craters near the lunar south pole. Houston-based startup Intuitive Machines is gearing up to launch its second mission toward the Moon as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The […]