Intuitive Machines, a U.S. company, has launched its second lunar mission, aiming to deliver NASA’s science instruments to the moon. The mission, known as IM-2, lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday evening.
The lunar lander, named Athena, will journey for about a week before touching down on the lunar surface, expected no earlier than March 6. Loaded with advanced scientific equipment, Athena will carry NASA’s investigations and technology demonstrations to deepen our understanding of the moon’s environment and pave the way for future human missions.
According to NASA, the IM-2 mission will showcase lunar mobility, resource prospecting, and the analysis of volatile substances from beneath the moon’s surface. This is a crucial step toward discovering water sources beyond Earth, which is key to establishing sustainable infrastructure both on the moon and in space.
In addition to Athena, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft was also launched as a rideshare with the IM-2 mission. The Trailblazer will enter lunar orbit to map the distribution of various forms of water on the moon, providing valuable data for future exploration.
Last year, Intuitive Machines made history when its first lunar lander, Odysseus, achieved a soft landing on the moon. This marked the first time an American spacecraft had landed on the lunar surface in over 50 years.
