On February 26, 2025, at precisely 7:16 p.m. EST, the Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, marking the latest strides by the private aerospace company to explore the moon’s south pole. This mission, identified as IM-2, follows the historical success of its predecessor, Odysseus, making Intuitive Machines the first private company to achieve a soft lunar landing.
The aim of the IM-2 mission is to investigate the lunar surface for volatiles, including water ice, which is believed to be abundant at the south pole. "It’s very dynamic with a lot of moving parts," said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, underscoring the complexity and significance of this new venture.
Athena will begin its lunar expedition with several scientific instruments, including drills, robotic rovers, and communications equipment. These tools will be critically important as they aim to extract samples and analyze the icy compositions beneath the moon's surface. Nicky Fox, associate administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, expressed her excitement about the mission, stating, "I’m very excited to see the science... as we prepare for humanity's return to the moon and the Journey to Mars."
Launched from KSC Pad 39A, the Falcon 9 rocket performed flawlessly, and less than ten minutes later, its first-stage booster successfully landed back on the SpaceX droneship, A Shortfall of Gravitas. The upper stage proceeded to deploy Athena successfully, with the lander set to make its weeks-long transit to the moon. With optimal conditions predicted for the launch, the preparations had started hours earlier, building anticipation among teams and space aficionados alike.
Once Athena reaches the moon, likely on March 6, it will land near Mons Mouton, which is significantly closer to the moon's south pole than any previous spacecraft. This approach was chosen deliberately: the resources found here may be pivotal for sustained lunar habitation. Altemus remarked on the technical improvements made since the previous lander, which suffered setbacks upon landing. "We know exactly what happened last time. We fixed those things. We are very confident..." he stated, reiteratively assuring stakeholders of confidence moving forward.
The IM-2 mission's success relies heavily on Athena's scientific package, PRIME-1, which includes the Regolith Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT) and the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations (MSolo). Together, these will sample up to three feet below the surface and analyze materials for evidence of water or carbon-driven compounds. Altemus also highlighted the mission's multidimensional approach: "This is a much more complex and dynamic and exciting mission," asserting the comprehensive capabilities at hand this time around.
Supporting the IM-2 mission are secondary vehicles, including the Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform (MAPP), which will test the implementation of cellular networks on the moon, and the small flying hopper, Grace, named after computer scientist Grace Hopper. Grace will execute exploratory hops around the landing site, providing data from regions inaccessible to traditional wheeled rovers, particularly those staying within shadowed craters.
The Luna Trailblazer orbiter, also launched on the Falcon 9, aims to map the distribution of water on the lunar surface from its higher orbit and will work synergistically with Athena’s onboard studies to create comprehensive mappings of water ice potential. Altemus commented on the nature of the moon’s terrain, noting, "We will try to get 10 drill cycles and go 10 centimeters at a time, all the way to a meter depth.”
Anticipation for other upcoming missions remains high, especially since Athena is now one of four lunar landers heading to the moon—joining efforts from Firefly Aerospace and Japan-based ispace. This collective movement embodies the growing interest and urgency surrounding lunar exploration as part of NASA's Artemis program.
With the launch of Athena completed successfully, the mission teams are focused on the days leading to their expected lunar operations. The spacecraft's mission will last about 10 days on the moon's surface, with plans to leverage its scientific instruments fully, deploying detailed analysis of the gathered samples upon landing.
Pioneering lunar exploration, IM-2 is not just another mission; it supports the broader vision for establishing the moon as part of the future of human settlement beyond our planet, striving toward making sustained life away from Earth possible.