Chandrayaan-2 has captured high-resolution images of the Athena lander’s crash site on the Moon, shedding light on its difficult landing near the lunar south pole on March 6, 2025. The Athena lander, part of Intuitive Machines’ second commercial lunar payload services mission, landed in the rugged Mons Mouton region but tipped over onto its side inside a shallow crater due to a malfunction in its laser altimeter. This failure caused inaccurate altitude readings during descent, leading the lander to skid and roll before settling sideways. The lander’s solar panels faced away from sunlight, severely limiting power generation and communication, which ended the mission after less than 13 hours. Athena carried scientific instruments including a drill for analyzing lunar soil for water ice and robotic rovers, but most could not be deployed due to the accident. Chandrayaan-2’s images, with remarkable 0.25-meter resolution, also reveal drag marks on the lunar surface, providing insight into the crash dynamics.