NASA's Athena lander successfully touched down near the lunar south pole, within a permanently shadowed crater. While the landing was considered a triumph, the extreme cold of -280°F (-173°C) presents a significant challenge for the mission's scientific objectives, which include searching for water ice and characterizing the lunar environment. The frigid temperatures will limit the lander's operational lifespan and complicate data collection. Despite this, the mission team is optimistic about Athena's ability to return valuable data from this unexplored region of the Moon.
The Astrobotic Technology's Peregrine lunar lander mission, carrying NASA's Athena scientific payload, failed after a propellant leak shortly after launch. The spacecraft lost control and ultimately tipped over on the lunar surface, ending any hope of deploying its instruments designed to study the moon's exosphere and surface composition. While Peregrine did achieve lunar orbit, the mission is considered a loss for NASA and its partners, marking a setback for commercial lunar exploration efforts.
HN commenters express disappointment at the loss of Athena, with some questioning the wisdom of not designing the lander for such a contingency. Several point out the difficulty and expense of space missions, highlighting that failure is an inherent risk. One commenter notes the irony of the lander's name, Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, being associated with such a seemingly avoidable mishap. Others discuss the possibility of a future mission salvaging usable components from Athena, though this is considered unlikely. Some speculate about the root cause of the tipping, suggesting issues with the landing site or deployment mechanisms. A few lament the broader lack of investment in space exploration, while others emphasize the importance of learning from these failures for future endeavors.
NASA has successfully demonstrated the ability to receive GPS signals at the Moon, a first for navigating beyond Earth’s orbit. The Navigation Doppler Lidar for Space (NDLS) experiment aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) locked onto GPS signals and determined LRO’s position, paving the way for more reliable and autonomous navigation for future lunar missions. This achievement reduces reliance on Earth-based tracking and allows spacecraft to more accurately pinpoint their location, enabling more efficient and flexible operations in lunar orbit and beyond.
Several commenters on Hacker News expressed skepticism about the value of this achievement, questioning the practical applications and cost-effectiveness of using GPS around the Moon. Some suggested alternative navigation methods, such as star trackers or inertial systems, might be more suitable. Others pointed out the limitations of GPS accuracy at such distances, especially given the moon's unique gravitational environment. A few commenters highlighted the potential benefits, including simplified navigation for lunar missions and improved understanding of GPS signal behavior in extreme environments. Some debated the reasons behind NASA's pursuit of this technology, speculating about potential future applications like lunar infrastructure development or deep space navigation. There was also discussion about the technical challenges involved in acquiring and processing weak GPS signals at such a distance.
Summary of Comments ( 218 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43359412
Hacker News users discuss the surprisingly low temperature of -280°F (-173°C) recorded by Astrobotic's Peregrine lander, named Athena, after landing in a permanently shadowed crater. Several commenters point out that this temperature, while cold, isn't unexpected for a permanently shadowed region and is well above absolute zero. They discuss the possibility of finding water ice at such locations, with some speculating about its potential uses for future lunar missions. The discrepancy between Celsius and Fahrenheit scales is also mentioned, highlighting the importance of context when discussing extreme temperatures. Some users express skepticism about the viability of commercial lunar missions given Astrobotic's struggles.
The Hacker News post discussing the Ars Technica article about Athena landing in a cold, dark crater has generated several comments. Many commenters focus on the extreme temperature reported, -280°F (-173°C), questioning its plausibility. One commenter points out that this temperature is approaching absolute zero (-459.67°F or -273.15°C), and suggests that the actual temperature is likely higher, perhaps closer to -173°F, speculating that there might have been a typo in the article. This comment sparks a discussion about the possibility of a Fahrenheit/Celsius mix-up, with other commenters agreeing that such an error is likely.
Further discussion revolves around the difficulty of accurately measuring temperatures in space, particularly on the surface of another celestial body. One commenter explains the concept of radiative cooling in a vacuum, stating that objects lose heat through radiation and that the temperature of an object in space depends on a balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing thermal radiation. They suggest that the shadowed crater floor, shielded from direct sunlight, could indeed reach very low temperatures.
Other commenters question the significance of landing in a dark crater, wondering why this location was chosen. There isn't a clear answer provided within the comments, although some speculate it might be related to searching for volatiles, such as water ice, which are more likely to be found in permanently shadowed regions.
Another line of discussion branches into the broader mission of Athena and its implications. Commenters express excitement about the potential scientific discoveries that might arise from studying the lunar south pole, particularly with regard to understanding the early solar system and the potential for future lunar resource utilization.
Overall, the comments section reflects a mix of skepticism about the reported temperature, curiosity about the mission's objectives, and excitement about the potential scientific gains from exploring the lunar south pole. The most compelling comments highlight the complexities of measuring temperature in space and the potential scientific value of exploring permanently shadowed craters. There is a palpable sense of anticipation for future updates and findings from the Athena mission.