Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 Moon lander is lying dead in a crater

The Athena lander toppled over in the shadow of a crater around 820 feet (200 meters) from its intended landing site. Credit: Intuitive Machines Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission has ended after its lunar lander, Athena, apparently toppled over as it touched down and came to rest on its side yesterday in a shadowed crater, the … Read more

Moon’s largest crater is rounder than 1st thought

View larger. | This elevation map depicts the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon. It is the moon’s largest crater. The lowest regions are in blue and purple. A new study suggested the crater is more circular in shape than scientists previously thought. Image via NASA/ GSFC/ University of Arizona. The South Pole-Aitken basin is … Read more

NASA’s Perseverance Rover Reaches the Top Rim of the Jezero Crater

In 2018, NASA mission planners selected the Jezero Crater as the future landing site of the Perseverance rover. This crater was a natural choice, as it was once an ancient lake bed, as evidenced by the delta fan at its western edge. On Earth, these features form in the presence of flowing water that gradually … Read more