Since the #IM2 lander uses very wide angle fisheye lenses, I was able to make a partial 360° panorama from the image.
This gives a slightly better sense of scale and direction.
Since the #IM2 lander uses very wide angle fisheye lenses, I was able to make a partial 360° panorama from the image.
This gives a slightly better sense of scale and direction.
Comparing the new image with an earlier one, shows significant bending of even the top landing legs, telling me that all legs have touched the surface at one point.
According to the landing stream, the main engine continued to fire for several minutes after touchdown. #IM2
Another one bites the (Moon)dust!
This is Intuitive Machines' #IM2 lander that once again toppled over after trying to land on Mons Mouton near the lunar south pole.
The picture had lots of detail hidden in the shadows which I brought out in processing.
#Athena came to rest inside a crater, 250m from its intended target. “With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the #solar panels, and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, #IntuitiveMachines does not expect Athena to recharge ”. Issues with Athena’s laser altimeter may have contributed to the bad landing https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/us-company-says-moon-mission-over-after-landing-sideways-again
Images downlinked from Athena on the lunar surface confirmed that Athena was on her side. After landing, mission controllers were able to accelerate several program and payload milestones, incl. NASA’s PRIME-1 suite, before lander’s batteries depleted.
It seems that #IM2 (like #IM1 ),
is lying on its side on the moon
Might @Int_Machines consider putting feet everywhere on #IM3?
#moonlanding
#Athena was communicating with controllers and generating solar power, officials said. But 20 minutes after touchdown, Crain still was unable to confirm if everything was all right with the lander. #NASA and #IntuitiveMachines abruptly ended their live landing webcast, promising more updates at a news conference later in the afternoon https://apnews.com/article/moon-landing-nasa-intuitive-machines-athena-cf4a88baa6644fb381dbaea497001d51
#IntuitiveMachines 2 lunar landing 12:32 p.m. EST (06:32 pm CET) on Thursday, March 6 https://plus.nasa.gov/scheduled-video/intuitive-machines-2-lunar-landing
The #IM2 #NovaC lander is currently scheduled to land on Mons Mouton (-84.78°, 29.13°E) on 6 March 2025 https://www.lroc.asu.edu/images/1401
The Intuitive Machines IM-2 Athena spacecraft completed a 492-second main engine Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn at 7:27 a.m. EST on March 3 and is currently in a circular orbit around the Moon.
Athena will complete 39 lunar orbits before landing on March 6, around 12:32 p.m. EST when it will be lunar morning at the landing site near the South Pole.
Pl. see the rest of this thread for mission info.
No updates on AstroForge or Lunar Trailblazer
We have contact!
The NASA DSN site in Canberra is receiving signals from the #IM2 and the NASA #Lunar #Trailblazer spacecraft at 1.256 kb/s and 16 kb/s resp.
https://mastoreader.io/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fc.im%2F%40cdarwin%2F114073577944977793
@AkaSci
very informative thread, thank you!
there is a great podcast where Steve Altemus gives an insight into the #im2 mission.
https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/houston-we-have-a-podcast/intuitive-machines-returns-to-the-moon/
#NovaC #IM2 launch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi0cLW7J6Ic
Thu Feb 27, 2025 01:17 CET https://nextspaceflight.com/launches/details/6828
During the #IM2 mission, the #4G cell https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/18/1111984/nokia-is-putting-the-first-cellular-network-on-the-moon
#SpaceCommunication https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Key:communication:space
Early next month, #IM2 is targeting a touchdown at 84.6° south latitude, just 160 km from the #Moon’s south pole. It will deploy an #ice-mining drill
Within the next few years, a new #communications infrastructure will unfold for the Moon . Shackleton Crater is deeper than the #GrandCanyon. Extremes at the South Pole present challenges for establishing wireless networks like #WiFi
and #5G
is only visible for roughly two weeks of each month. #Nasa has funded #Nokia to demonstrate a #4G link on the #IM2 mission, which will be the first #cellular network on the #Moon https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240308-talking-on-the-moon-the-quest-to-establish-lunar-wifi