Intuitive Machines’ Athena Lander

On February 27, 2025, Intuitive Machines successfully launched its second lunar lander, Athena, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Athena is en route to the Moon’s south pole, aiming to land near Mons Mouton on March 6. The mission includes autonomous systems such as a robotic “hopper” designed to search for water ice in permanently shadowed craters and an ice-mining drill to explore subsurface deposits.