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WEEK OF MARCH 20, 2025
VOLUME 118 | ISSUE 12
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Lunar Outpost’s moon mission goes sideways Spacecraft carrying MAPP rover lands on its side, preventing deployment BY RYLEE DUNN RDUNN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Arvada-based company Lunar Outpost’s attempt at making history by landing the first-ever commercial rover on the moon hit a snag upon arrival, as the spacecraft carrying the rover landed on its side, making it impossible for the rover to be deployed. Lunar Outpost’s MAPP rover was carried by Intuitive Machine’s Athena Spacecraft, which landed about 5 degrees from the Lunar South Pole on March 6 after launching on the SpaceX Falcon 9 on Feb. 26. After the touchdown, however, there were some technical challenges. Caroline Cammarano, a member of Lunar Outpost’s communication’s team, said that although the rover survived the journey to the moon, it was unable to drive on the lunar surface due to the Athena’s landing orientation.
“Our Lunar Voyage 1 MAPP rover successfully made it to the Moon, collected data from the lunar surface and in transit, and proved MAPP was ready to drive!” Cammarano said. “Intuitive Machines landing on its side prevented MAPP’s deployment. “Our data paints a clear picture that MAPP survived the landing attempt and would have driven on the lunar surface and achieved our mission objectives had it been given the opportunity,” Cammarano continued. Teams are able to communicate with the machine, said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, which provided the Athena spacecraft. “We’ll just have to do the reconstruction and figure out exactly what is the attitude and location, and then we will get on with the rest of the mission,” he said at a NASA press conference.
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During the press conference, Altemus said he believes that the machine is in the vicinity of the landing site. They are waiting for pictures from above, which will come in the next couple of days, to confirm their exact location.
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The mission that could have been
Had the landing gone a bit more smoothly, the rover would have set out to complete a slew of firsts, including facilitating the (largely symbolic) first sale of space resources in human history, a $1 sale of lunar regolith — dust, soil and rock that covers the moon’s surface — to NASA. In addition to being the first commercial rover on the moon, the MAPP rover is also the first American rover on the Lunar South Pole. SEE LUNAR OUTPOST, P24
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