Overview
- The Athena lunar lander launched on February 26, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- Athena's mission, part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, aims to land near Mons Mouton, closer to the Moon's South Pole than any previous mission.
- Equipped with advanced instruments, Athena will search for water ice and other resources, utilizing a drill, mass spectrometer, and a German-developed thermal radiometer (LRAD).
- The mission also includes two rovers, Mapp and Yaoki, and a hopping device called Grace to explore and map the lunar surface in detail.
- Intuitive Machines previously achieved the first private lunar landing in 2024, though the lander Odysseus tipped over after touchdown; the company seeks improved results with Athena.