Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander on the moon in this IM-1 mission animation. Credit: Space.com | animation courtesy: ...

The spacecraft's laser range finder, or LRF, experienced an anomaly that prevented Resilience from obtaining valid measurements of its distance from the lunar surface.

In April 2023, ispace's first lander crashed on the Moon due to a similar altitude measurement problem. The spacecraft thought it was on the surface of the Moon, but was actually firing its engine ...