The moon is about to get another visitor. Intuitive Machines is gearing up to send its second lunar lander, Athena, to the moon aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The launch is scheduled for Wednesday evening from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with a window between 7:02 p.m. and 7:34 p.m. ET.
Athena, a six-legged Nova-C lander, aims to touch down near the Shackleton Crater at the moon’s South Pole. Once there, it will drill into the lunar surface, searching for water, ice, and other gases—key resources for future space missions. According to Trent Martin, Intuitive Machines’ senior vice president of space systems, the lander is “buttoned up and ready to go,” with no reported issues.
This mission is part of NASA’s $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Last year, Intuitive Machines secured a $116.9 million contract to deliver six science and technology payloads to the South Pole.
The company made history in 2024 when Odysseus, its first lunar lander, became the first private spacecraft to land on the moon – though it tipped over upon arrival. With Athena, Intuitive Machines is hoping for an even smoother landing, marking another major milestone in lunar exploration. If successful, it will be the first U.S. moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
