The American company Intuitive Machines failed during its second attempt to land on the Moon using the Athena lander. This was reported by Reuters, as conveyed by UNN.
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This mission, which aimed to deliver scientific instruments and 11 payloads to the Moon's south pole, faced issues due to a malfunction of the laser rangefinders. According to the company's CEO, Stephen Altemus, the module ended up on its side, preventing it from achieving the correct vertical position on the surface.
Athena landed on the Moon on February 26, just minutes after a problem was detected with the engine, which continued to operate and was then shut down. The company confirmed that the lander did indeed end up on the Moon's surface, but its exact location remains unclear.
This failure echoed the problems faced by a similar module last year, when the first attempt to land on the Moon was also partially thwarted. Intuitive Machines' shares fell by 36%, indicating market concerns about the stability of the company's missions.
Despite the technical difficulties, representatives of Intuitive Machines emphasized the successes of the mission, particularly in developing more effective algorithms for crater recognition.
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