Intuitive Machines’ second lander, named Athena, launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening. The spacecraft is now on an arcing path to the moon and will attempt to land on March 6 in Mons Mouton, a region about 100 miles from the moon’s south pole.
Athena carries a drill for NASA as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The drill aims to dig three feet below the surface, collecting lunar soil and testing for frozen water compounds. Three robotic rovers – Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), AstroAnt, and Yaoki – will also be deployed after landing.
Intuitive Machines’ previous lander, Odysseus, successfully landed on the moon last year but tipped over due to a software error during launch preparations. The company has since tested its Nova-C design multiple times and implemented changes to prevent similar issues.
Athena is not the only spacecraft traveling with the Falcon 9 rocket. Three other separate missions – Lunar Trailblazer, Odin, and CHIMERA GEO 1 – will ride on the rocket, taking advantage of extra payload space for a cheaper ride to space.
The Athena lander’s mission is scheduled to last less than one lunar day, or about 10 Earth days, until the sun sets. The spacecraft will draw power from its batteries during an eclipse that occurs on March 14 at 2 a.m. Eastern time, when darkness falls for a few minutes.
This marks the third commercial lander launched toward the moon this year, following Blue Ghost and Resilience. Athena is set to arrive ahead of Blue Ghost, which lands on March 2, and Resilience, which is expected to arrive in May.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/26/science/intuitive-machines-second-moon-landing-launch-how-to-watch.html