Several issues conspired to bring Athena down, including tough lighting conditions near the moon's south pole.

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This was the company's second attempt to land on the Moon, with both missions having toppled over on the lunar surface.

The second issue was the challenging lighting conditions in Athena's landing zone, which was just 100 miles (160 kilometers) or so from the south pole of the moon. "South Pole topography and low ...

Commercial company ispace announced its lunar lander had entered orbit around the moon ahead of a June landing attempt.

Credit: Firefly Aerospace The first Moon mission of 2025 ... Credit: Intuitive Machines While Athena’s tipped-over landing meant it couldn’t do all the scientific explorations it had planned ...

It targeted a scientifically intriguing site near the Moon’s south pole region. While Athena’s tipped-over landing meant it couldn’t do all the scientific explorations it had planned ...