India, March 6 -- Intuitive Machines, a private firm from the United States, said on Thursday that its robotic Athena lander landed on the moon's surface, but its status and health remained unclear.

This is the company's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon's surface. The company's first attempt was unsuccessful, as the instrument landed sideways.

The Athena lander took nearly an hour to descend on the moon's surface. It dropped out of the lunar orbit as planned, with an ice drill, a drone and two rovers.

"It looks like we're down. We are working to evaluate exactly what our orientation is on the surface," said mission director and co-founder Tim Crain.

The mission control crew said the lander was powered on after landing, ...