Intuitive Machines’ confirmed the lunar lander IM-2 Athena, touched down on the Moon at approximately 11:30 a.m. CST on Thursday. That’s the good news.

The bad news, according to Intuitive’s Steve Altemus, “We don’t believe we’re in the correct attitude on the surface of the moon.” In other words, not upright.

Athena becomes the third commercial mission to safely touch down on the lunar surface, albeit with two less than optimal landings. “Any time humanity puts a lander on the moon, it’s a good day,” said Tim Crain, the Intuitive Machines Chief Growth Officer. Crain is right, but undoubtedly he is somewhat disappointed at less than a full success landing of IM-2 Athena.

“[The] IMU data is a piece of data that says that we’re oriented somewhat on our side,” Crain explained later, immediately adding, “I want to get all the measurements to really be able to explain to you the configuration of the [vehicle.] I don’t have a good sense of that today.”

Several hours after the 15-foot-tall robotic lander reached the moon, uncertainty has loomed over its condition. It was unclear whether the spacecraft had executed a stable landing, allowing it to fully carry out its mission as planned, or if it had toppled or partially toppled upon touchdown—an outcome that could hinder its ability to fully deploy it scientific instruments.

At precisely 12:31 PM EST, Athena successfully touched down near the moon’s south pole. The descent and landing sequence unfolded as planned, with the spacecraft executing an 11-minute engine burn to slow its velocity for a controlled touchdown.

However, in the final moments before landing, flight controllers briefly lost communication with the lander—a disruption expected due to the dynamics of the descent. When contact was re-established, initial data confirmed that Athena had landed and was generating power through its solar panels, albeit not as much as was expected, and an indication that Athena was in less than an optimal state.

Tim Crain summed up his feelings by saying, “I’m incredibly proud of the team. I’m incredibly proud of how well this vehicle performed. And I will tell you, the future is bright for intuitive machines to land lots and lots of cargo on the moon.”

Intuitive has promised more information when it becomes available. This will an interesting mission to watch unfold.

Stay tuned.