Texas-based Intuitive Machines is poised to launch its second moon landing mission this week. According to a Reuters report, a company executive confirmed that the space exploration firm is ready to proceed with the scheduled launch of its six-legged Nova-C moon lander, named Athena, on Wednesday.
The Athena lunar lander will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The designated launch window is set between 7:02 p.m. and 7:34 p.m. ET, offering a precise timeframe for this critical mission.
Intuitive Machines plans to navigate the lunar lander near the South Pole of the moon, specifically targeting the region close to the Shackleton Crater. The mission aims to drill into the moon's surface to search for water, ice, and other gases, contributing valuable data to lunar exploration efforts.
Trent Martin, the Senior Vice President of Space Systems at Intuitive Machines, stated during a conference call that the Nova-C lander is currently not facing any issues and is "buttoned up and ready to go." This assurance points to a smooth preparation phase leading up to the launch.
This mission is a part of NASA’s $2.6 billion Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Last August, Intuitive Machines was awarded a $116.9 million contract under CLPS to deliver six science and technology payloads to the lunar South Pole, marking a significant milestone in commercial lunar exploration.
Intuitive Machines made history last year by becoming the first private company to successfully land on the moon. The mission's lunar lander, Odysseus, reached the surface before it tipped over. Despite losing the signal initially, contact was re-established after about 15 minutes, indicating the equipment was operational on the moon, although its condition and orientation were uncertain.
The last American spacecraft to touch down on the moon was during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, highlighting the significance of this upcoming launch in the context of recent space exploration endeavors.
