Athena, the new moon lander from Intuitive Machines, is giving us breathtaking views of the moon from orbit as it prepares for its landing on March 6.
This mission, called IM-2, marks Intuitive Machines’ second lunar exploration. It is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which partners with private companies to send scientific instruments and technology to the moon. Athena launched on February 26 from Florida’s Space Coast aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and has successfully entered lunar orbit after a short flight.
With Athena now circling the moon, it’s capturing amazing images of the lunar surface. Recently, Intuitive Machines shared on X (formerly Twitter) that “Athena continues to be in excellent health, completing lunar orbits every two hours.” The lander is currently waiting for sunlight to reach its intended landing site near Mons Mouton at the moon’s south pole.
In addition to stunning photos, Athena shared a time-lapse video made from 240 images taken during its orbits. This sequence shows a mid-latitude region on the moon, providing a glimpse of its terrain.
Intuitive Machines highlighted that Mons Mouton is one of the proposed landing sites for NASA’s Artemis missions, which aim to send astronauts back to the moon. The area is key for studying water ice and other resources, crucial for future crewed missions.
Athena is equipped with NASA’s PRIME-1 payload, designed to drill into the lunar surface for frozen water. It can reach depths of about 3 feet (1 meter). This will help scientists understand more about the moon’s resources. Additionally, it carries a smaller exploratory spacecraft called Grace, which will travel within a mile of Athena’s landing site to study shaded areas within craters.
Grace will work alongside a rover named MAPP (Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform) from Lunar Outpost, which is set to test a cellular network on the moon.
Currently, multiple missions are involved in lunar exploration. Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander successfully landed on March 2, beginning a two-week mission on the moon. Meanwhile, another mission, Resilience, from ispace, is set to land in June after taking a slower route to the moon.
Intuitive Machines is aiming for a successful landing with Athena—much more precise than its first attempt in February 2024, where the lander Odysseus reached the moon but toppled over during its landing.
Trent Martin, senior vice president of space systems at Intuitive Machines, expressed hope for a better landing this time. Coverage of Athena’s landing begins at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT) on March 6, with the landing expected around 12:32 p.m. EST (1730 GMT). You can watch the event live on the Space.com homepage, NASA’s streaming service, and Intuitive Machines’ YouTube channel.
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