Private Spacecraft 'Athena' Embarks on Lunar Mission to Study Moon's South Pole

The U.S. company Intuitive Machines launches its second lunar lander, aiming to gather critical data on water and resources near the Moon's South Pole.

• 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.

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