CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private enterprise launched another lunar lander on Wednesday, with the objective of reaching the moon’s south pole. This time, the mission includes a drone poised to explore a shadowy crater that never sees sunlight.
Intuitive Machines’ lander, dubbed Athena, was launched aboard a SpaceX rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Athena is on a fast trajectory to the moon, targeting a landing date of March 6, while aiming to avoid the issues faced by its predecessor, which faltered upon landing.
Currently, numerous spacecraft are attempting to reach the moon’s surface simultaneously. Last month, separate landers from American and Japanese firms were launched aboard the same rocket towards Earth’s celestial neighbor. Texas-based Firefly Aerospace is set to arrive first, following a substantial head start.
The American landers are transporting NASA-financed experiments worth tens of millions as the agency prepares for future manned lunar missions.
“It’s truly an exciting era with so much vigor,” noted Nicky Fox, NASA’s science mission chief, within hours of the launch.
Intuitive Machines isn’t new to lunar endeavors. Last year, it achieved the United States’ first moon landing in over five decades. Unfortunately, a faulty distance gauge resulted in a rough landing causing the lander to tilt and become inoperative.
The company has since resolved this issue along with several others. A similar mishap as before would hinder the drone and two rovers from deploying. NASA’s drill, too, requires a stable landing to successfully collect sub-surface lunar samples.
“We are more prepared now than prior,” commented Trent Martin, senior VP of space systems. “Yet, the unpredictable is always a possibility.”
Only a handful of nations have accomplished lunar landings: Russia, the United States, China, India, and Japan. Numerous previous failures have left a debris trail on the moon.
Standing at 15 feet (4.7 meters) tall, Athena is set to land 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the moon’s south pole. A quarter-mile (400 meters) ahead lies a perpetually dark crater, the ultimate objective for the drone called Grace.
Named to honor Grace Hopper, a historical figure in computing, the drone, measuring 3 feet (1 meter), will undertake three progressive flights across the moon utilizing hydrazine thrusters and advanced navigation technology.
Should the preliminary tests succeed, Grace aspires to descend into the nearby crater, approximately 65 feet (20 meters) deep. Instruments from Germany and Hungary will scrutinize the crater’s base seeking signs of frozen water.
This pioneering mission will offer a nascent glimpse inside the permanently shadowed craters spread across both polar regions, where scientists hypothesize substantial ice deposits might exist. Such ice could potentially be converted into future resources for lunar missions, notably water, breathable air, and even propulsion fuel.
NASA has commissioned Intuitive Machines with $62 million to transport its drill and other scientific equipment to the moon, while the company has also commercialized payload space for ancillary missions, offering slots onboard the Falcon rocket.
Among these hitchhikers is NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer satellite, which will independently navigate to the moon in the coming months to commence water mapping operations from lunar orbit. A private spacecraft destined to analyze an asteroid for mining prospects also joined the flight.
