Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based company, launched their second moon lander, Athena, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The spacecraft is on a path to land closer to the moon’s south pole than any previous spacecraft. The main payload on Athena is a drill for NASA as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. Another spacecraft on the same rocket is Lunar Trailblazer, a NASA mission to measure water distribution on the moon. Odyssey, the company’s first lander, communicated with Earth despite toppling over on its side. Athena is carrying three robotic rovers and a “hopper” to explore long distances on the moon. The mission is expected to last for about 10 Earth days, with a brief eclipse when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon. Athena is the third commercial lander launched toward the moon this year, following Blue Ghost from Firefly Aerospace and Resilience by Ispace. Blue Ghost is scheduled to land ahead of Athena, while Resilience is expected to arrive in May. Odyssey’s landing issues were due to a faulty laser altimeter on the landing software, but Intuitive Machines has ensured that Athena’s software has been thoroughly tested. The mission represents continued progress in commercial space exploration and research.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
