The Athena lunar lander, developed by Intuitive Machines, has successfully touched down on the Moon, but its condition and exact landing location remain unknown. While communication with the lander was established, mission controllers are unable to confirm if it is operational or where it landed.
The lander, which is owned by Intuitive Machines, was carrying an ice drill, a drone and two rovers. Athena was apparently able to communicate with its controllers, the Associated Press reported, citing officials.
Mission director and co-founder Tim Crain was heard telling the team to “keep working on the problem,” despite the craft sending apparent “acknowledgments” to the team in Texas.
NASA and Intuitive Machines ended the online live stream and announced that they would hold a news conference on the status of Athena later on Thursday.
Last year, Intuitive Machine saw its Odysseus lander make it to the moon, only to end up landing sideways, putting extra pressure on today’s landing.
Athena is the second craft to land on the, the moon this week after Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost made touchdown on Sunday. “You all stuck the landing. We’re on the moon,” Firefly’s Will Coogan, chief engineer for the lander, said. Blue Ghost’s landing made Firefly Aerospace the first private company to put a spacecraft on the moon without it crashing or falling over.