The second moon mission of intelligence machines ended in despair on Friday, when its solar-operated battery was left unable to recharge its solar-operated battery after its spacecraft and last year.
It concluded a premature conclusion for a premature mission, which created enthusiasm in the space community, thanks to its state -of -the -art payload, including futuristic hoping drones, multiple rovers, an ice drill, and 4G network tests.
Houston-based intuitive machines (IM) expected to make history with Athana, a hexagonal lander roughly designed to touch a giraffe height, which was designed to touch a place called Mons Monson Plateau, which was close to the lunar south pole than any mission earlier.
But last week, a spacex Falcon rode on a 9 rocket and traveling more than a million kilometers through space, the spacecraft came to rest inside a pit, faced down on the lunar surface, 250 meters from its intended target, at a distance of 250 meters.
A picture released by the company showed Ethana resting on an inclination, in which the Earth appears between its two splashes of landing legs – a similar luck for pre -landing of IM in February 2024 with its Odicius spacecraft.
Faulty equipment
Despite this, the teams “were able to accelerate many programs and payload milestones, including a NASA experiment, were designed to drill under the lunar surface in search of ice and chemicals, the company said before Ehena’s battery was reduced, the company said.
“With the direction of the Sun, orientation of solar panels, and extremely cold temperatures in the pit, do not expect to recharge the ethena from spontaneous machines,” it continued.
“Mission has concluded, and teams continue to assess the data collected throughout the mission.”
Science checking and technology performances were originally expected to last about 10 days, the company was expecting a lunar eclipse to capture a lunar eclipse from the moon’s point of view on 14 March.
On Thursday, IM officials suggested that issues with Athena’s laser ultimators contributed to poor landing similar to the previous mission, when Odissius came very fast, grabbed a leg on the surface, and collided over the surface.
In particular, the relatives of the area designed to provide terrain and velocity readings, the navigation laser, was returning the “noise” data, which could not be fully trusted, while the dangerous relative navigation sensor had only sent the signs to stop, the IM said on Thursday.
Like Odissius, there is a long, thin build in the ethana, which stands 15.6 feet (4.8 m) in height, increases the concerns of stability.
But CEO Steve Altemus said that the weight distribution of the lander kept the center of gravity low, and the company is confident in its design.
Texas rival succeeds
Adding disappointment, a few days after the latest accident, Texas rival Jugnu Aerospace successfully launched its Blue Ghost Lander in its first attempt.
These missions are part of NASA’s $ 2.6 billion commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) program, which is to support the private industry to support low cost and artemis – NASA’s efforts to return astronauts on NASA’s moon and eventually reach Mars.
Meanwhile, two investigations that stopped a ride on the same spacex rocket, as IM equipment is also lost, adding a feeling of a sick journey. NASA’s lunar trailblazer probe was designed to map the water distribution of the moon, while Odin, a small private probe, aimed to capture close-up photos of an asteroid.
The IM has been awarded two more lunar missions, but the review of data of IM-2 will be for better understanding its implications for IM-3.
Among the four CLP missions attempted so far, only one lander managed an honest touchdown, two sideways sideways, and failed to fully reach a moon.
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