Private Moon lander Athena declared dead after rough landing near lunar south pole

A private lunar lander, developed by Texas-based Intuitive Machines, was declared dead on Friday, hours after landing sideways in a crater near the Moon’s south pole, the company confirmed.
The lander, named Athena, missed its intended landing site by over 800 feet (250 meters) and ended up in an area with extreme cold and limited sunlight, making it nearly impossible to recharge its batteries, reported news agency AP.
Despite the rough landing, Athena managed to transmit images and activate some of its onboard experiments before losing power. The lander was carrying multiple payloads for NASA and private clients, including an ice drill, drone, and two rovers.
In a statement, Intuitive Machines said, "The mission has concluded, and teams are continuing to assess the data collected throughout the mission."
This marks Intuitive Machines’ second unsuccessful landing attempt. A previous attempt last year also resulted in a sideways landing, though the company was able to keep that mission operational for a longer period despite communication challenges.
Earlier this week, Firefly Aerospace, another Texas-based company, successfully landed its Blue Ghost lander on the moon's far northern latitudes under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.