Overview
- Intuitive Machines launched its Athena lander on February 26, aiming for a March 6 landing near the moon's South Pole to explore water ice and test mobility technologies.
- Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission, expected to land on March 2, will conduct NASA-backed experiments on lunar dust and surface conditions during a two-week operation.
- Japan's ispace is pursuing its second lunar landing attempt, with its Resilience lander set to arrive in May or June to support its vision of sustainable human presence on the moon.
- All three missions were launched aboard SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, highlighting the growing role of private companies in space exploration.
- The missions aim to lay groundwork for future lunar operations, including mining, resource utilization, and potential human habitation by 2040.