Watch SpaceX Launches Private Moon Lander and NASA’s Trailblazer in Search of Lunar Water – Exciting Video Inside!

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private lunar lander named Athena is now heading to the moon. It launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket just after sunset on February 26, 2025, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

Athena, designed by Intuitive Machines based in Houston, is carrying 10 NASA instruments. Many of these tools aim to find signs of water ice, which is crucial for NASA’s Artemis program, aiming to establish human settlements on the moon.

Nicky Fox, a NASA scientist, shared her excitement about the mission. She believes the technology used in these demonstrations is vital for humanity’s future, as we prepare to return to the moon and even travel to Mars.

The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 7:16 p.m. EST and successfully landed its first-stage booster back on a droneship after about 8.5 minutes. This launch marked the ninth flight and landing for this particular booster. The rocket’s upper stage continued on its journey, deploying Athena into a trajectory towards the moon about 43.5 minutes post-launch.

The mission is called IM-2, representing Intuitive Machines’ second lunar mission within two years. It is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which partners with private companies to transport scientific tools to the moon.

Athena’s mission targets the moon’s south pole, a region believed to contain significant water ice deposits. Understanding these resources could help future missions be more sustainable by using what’s available on the moon itself—a practice known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU).

The lander carries two small vehicles to aid its exploration: a mini rover called MAPP (Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform), created by Lunar Outpost, and a ‘hopper’ robot named Grace from Intuitive Machines. The rover aims to gather data and facilitate communication, while Grace will leap around the landing area, researching locations that are difficult to access.

Athena follows Intuitive Machines’ first successful mission, IM-1, launched in February 2024. Although IM-1 achieved its goal of landing on the moon, it encountered issues upon touchdown, which affected its data transmission capabilities. This time, the focus is on landing more accurately.

The lander aims to arrive in lunar orbit 4 to 5 days after launch and execute a landing 1.5 to 3 days later, planning to gather data on the lunar surface for about 10 Earth days. Athena’s primary scientific tools include TRIDENT, a drill for collecting lunar samples, and MSolo, a mass spectrometer that will analyze the samples for compounds like water and carbon dioxide.

The MAPP rover will test a new cellular network designed for use on the moon, enabling high-speed communication across vast distances. Meanwhile, Luna Trailblazer will orbit the moon, mapping water ice deposits and providing complementary data to Athena’s findings.

The IM-2 mission cost NASA $47 million, but due to additional requirements, that amount increased to $62.5 million over the years. This highlights NASA’s investment in innovative lunar exploration technologies.

Athena and Lunar Trailblazer are joining a growing list of recent lunar missions, including the Japan-based ispace’s Resilience lander and Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission. Each mission plays a role in uncovering more about the moon’s resources and potential for future exploration.

As Athena embarks on this exciting mission, the world eagerly waits to see what discoveries await on the lunar surface.