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Athena spacecraft declared dead after toppling over on moon

Robotic private spacecraft touched down about 250 miles from its intended landing site on Thursday

A robotic private spacecraft designed to provide crucial data for returning humans to the moon toppled over as it landed on the lunar surface, bringing an immediate and premature end to the mission, its operators said on Friday. “With the direction of the sun, the orientation of the solar panels, and extreme cold temperatures in the crater, Intuitive Machines does not expect Athena to recharge,” it said in a statement confirming that the 15ft (4.6 meter) spacecraft was on its side. Lost with the Athena lander were hundreds of millions of dollars worth of equipment, including Nasa’s Trident regolith drill, which was to have excavated soil in a search for water and other life-supporting constituents.

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