This week will see a new record in space exploration as Intuitive Machines launches its Athena lunar lander for its IM-2 mission. It will join Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience, both currently in space, marking the first occasion that three lunar landers have been on their way to the moon at the same time.
“Humanity has never witnessed three lunar landers enroute to the Moon at the same time, and Athena is ready to rise to the occasion,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, in a statement. “This profound opportunity to make history isn’t solely built on technology – it’s established through the relentless dedication of our people, who have turned the company’s words about a reliable cadence of lunar missions into action.”
It is notable that all three landers are from private companies, reflecting the growing interest in private lunar exploration. However, landing on the moon is still a considerable challenge, and only one commercial entity has successfully soft landed on the moon to date. Intuitive Machines’ previous lunar lander, Odysseus, became the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon in fifty years when it touched down on the lunar surface last year, though the landing did not go entirely smoothly and the spacecraft ended up on its side. It was still able to collect some science data, but it could only collect limited solar power due to the positioning of its panels.
Now, Intuitive Machines will have the opportunity to try again with its Athena lander. Athena will carry science and technology tests from NASA and is part of NASA’s push to include more private companies in space exploration. The CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program aims to get private companies ready to land on and explore the moon, so NASA can use these landers to carry its payloads ahead of putting people back on the moon in the next few years.
“Among the items on Intuitive Machines’ lander, the IM-2 mission will be one of the first on-site demonstrations of resource use on the moon,” NASA announced. “A drill and mass spectrometer will measure the potential presence of volatiles or gases from lunar soil in Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau in the Moon’s South Pole. In addition, a passive Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) on the top deck of the lander will bounce laser light back at any orbiting or incoming spacecraft to give future spacecraft a permanent reference point on the lunar surface.”
Another fun test that will be included with the Athena lander is a hopping drone named Grace. The Micro Nova Hopper is designed to carry small science payloads and to make use of the moon’s lower gravity by deploying and hopping across the moon’s surface, jumping up to 100 meters into the air, allowing efficient movement across the rocky terrain.
Launch of the Athena lander is scheduled for a multi-day launch window opening on Wednesday, February 26, with the exact time yet to be confirmed. The spacecraft will launch using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
