the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Intuitive Machines’ Athena moon lander has successfully reached the lunar surface—but there’s a catch. While the lander didn’t crash, officials are unsure whether it remains upright after its descent.
Lunar Landing at Mons Mouton
🚀 Landing Site: Mons Mouton, a plateau near the Moon’s South Pole
📅 Touchdown Time: No earlier than 12:32 PM ET on Thursday
🚀 Launch Date: Last Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9
What’s Aboard the Athena Lander?
Athena carries cutting-edge technology, including:
🔹 Ice Drill – Searching for frozen water beneath the surface
🔹 4G Network Test – Could enable future lunar communications
🔹 Three Rovers – Designed to explore the lunar terrain
🔹 Hopping Drone – A first-of-its-kind aerial vehicle for the Moon
What’s Next?
The uncertain landing position raises questions about how well the mission’s payload can function. Scientists and engineers will analyze Athena’s condition to determine how much of the mission can proceed as planned.
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