NASA ‘Athena’ lander set to touch down on moon’s surface
Fox Information senior correspondent Jonathan Serrie joins ‘The Faulkner Focus’ to debate NASA’s moon lander descending in the direction of the lunar floor and a stranded astronaut denying claims that politics performed a job in delaying his retrieval.
A lunar lander made its landing on the moon earlier on Thursday, however controllers on the bottom have been unable to substantiate the Athena lander’s situation upon touchdown, the Related Press reported. Along with its situation, the situation of the place the craft landed can be unclear.
The lander, which is owned by Intuitive Machines, was carrying an ice drill, a drone and two rovers. Athena was apparently in a position to talk with its controllers, the Associated Press reported, citing officers.
Mission director and co-founder Tim Crain was heard telling the crew to “preserve engaged on the issue,” regardless of the craft sending obvious “acknowledgments” to the crew in Texas.
This picture supplied by NASA exhibits the Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander approaching the floor of the moon on Thursday, March 6, 2025. (NASA through AP)
FIRST COMMERCIAL MOON LANDER ‘ODYSSEUS’ LANDS ON MOON
NASA and Intuitive Machines ended the web stay stream and introduced that they’d maintain a information convention on the standing of Athena in a while Thursday.
On this undated picture launched by Intuitive Machines, Intuitive Machines’ latest lunar lander is displayed. (Intuitive Machines through AP)
PRIVATE LUNAR LANDER BLUE GHOST LANDS ON THE MOON WITH EQUIPMENT FOR NASA
Final yr, Intuitive Machine noticed its Odysseus lander make it to the moon, solely to finish up touchdown sideways, placing further strain on right this moment’s touchdown.
On this rendering non-public lunar lander Blue Ghost touches down on the moon with a particular supply for NASA Sunday, March 2, 2025. (NASA/Firefly Aerospace through AP)
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Athena is the second craft to land on the moon this week after Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost made landing on Sunday.
“You all caught the touchdown. We’re on the moon,” Firefly’s Will Coogan, chief engineer for the lander, stated. Blue Ghost’s touchdown made Firefly Aerospace the primary non-public firm to place a spacecraft on the moon with out it crashing or falling over.
Fox Information’ Landon Minon contributed to this report.
