Intuitive Machines faces challenges with another problematic lunar landing.

      Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission lunar lander, named Athena, successfully entered lunar orbit on Monday, March 3.

      The moon is bustling this week, as a second spacecraft has landed on its surface within the last week. The Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission reportedly touched down today, Thursday, March 6, at approximately 12:30 p.m. ET (9:30 a.m. PT) in the Mons Mouton area near the moon’s south pole. However, the landing experienced issues. Although it appeared to land at the scheduled time, the main engine remained active for several minutes, potentially stirring up dust and risking damage to the spacecraft. The current orientation of the lander on the surface remains unclear, meaning it might be lying on its side or positioned incorrectly. Fortunately, the solar panels seem to be generating power, which is a positive development for the Intuitive Machines team.

      Intuitive Machines shared a photo of Athena during its landing approach, with more images and details anticipated shortly. The mission was launched with a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 26 and aimed for the southernmost landing on the moon to date. This region is of great interest to scientists due to the possibility of water ice in the permanently shadowed craters and is a target for NASA's future crewed lunar missions.

      This marks Intuitive Machines’ second lunar landing; last year, it became the first private company to achieve a soft landing on the moon with its Odysseus lander. That landing also faced challenges, as the spacecraft tipped over during its descent onto the moon’s uneven surface and landed on its side. Despite this, it managed to gather scientific data, although its operational lifespan was limited due to difficulties in harnessing energy from its solar panels.

      With Athena's successful landing, Intuitive Machines joins Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, which landed on March 2. Both landers are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which seeks to engage private companies in delivering supplies and technology to the moon in preparation for human missions under the Artemis program.

      Lunar scientists expressed shock and disappointment last month when NASA announced the cancellation of its moon rover project, VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover), which was aimed at searching the moon's south pole for signs of water. NASA cited rising costs as the reason for the cancellation. An open letter to Congress criticized the decision as "unprecedented and indefensible," challenging NASA's claim that this cancellation would not hinder human exploration plans. Scientists argued that the mission was essential for understanding water presence on the moon, a crucial resource for human exploration and a significant scientific inquiry.

      In other news, China's Chang'e 6 mission successfully landed on the moon over the weekend, collected samples from the lunar surface, and has departed to return these samples to Earth, as reported by China's state news agency.

      Additionally, NASA has been conducting "moonwalks" in the Arizona desert in preparation for its Artemis lunar mission. Astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas navigated a tool cart loaded with lunar equipment through the San Francisco Volcanic Field north of Flagstaff, Arizona, as part of their training, highlighting that much of an astronaut's time is spent in training rather than in space missions.