Private Spacecraft Athena Attempts Historic Moon Landing

The robotic lander, known as Athena, was developed by the Texas-based company Intuitive Machines. Launched into space on February 26, it has spent the past week journeying to the moon. This six-legged craft, roughly the size of a dishwasher, aims to touch down in the moon’s south polar region and spend a week searching for the possible presence of water ice beneath the lunar surface.

Significance of the Athena Mission

If successful, Athena will become the second vehicle to land on the moon within just five days. A separate mission, also based in Texas, successfully landed on Sunday within a sprawling, 350-mile-wide basin on the near side of the moon, the side that always faces Earth. Both missions are part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, designed to support the development of moon landers by private-sector companies.

NASA’s Vision for Lunar Exploration

More than a dozen U.S. companies are participating in this initiative, which is a crucial part of NASA’s broader goal of returning astronauts to the moon. The Athena landing marks the second moonshot for Intuitive Machines, which made history in February 2024 by becoming the first company to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon in over 50 years, since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

Targeting the Moon’s South Polar Region

Both of Intuitive Machines’ missions have targeted the moon’s south polar area. The previous lander, named Odysseus, landed near a crater called Malapert A, close to the lunar south pole. Athena is set to aim for a plateau on a giant, flat-topped mountain known as Mons Mouton. Scientists believe that water ice could be present in this region, making it a critical resource for future crewed missions to the moon, especially for potential long-term stays.

Innovative Technology on Board

Athena is carrying several rovers, including a suitcase-sized vehicle built by the Colorado-based company Lunar Outpost, named MAPP (Mobile Autonomous Prospecting Platform). This rover is designed to roam around the landing site and capture 3D images of the terrain. Additionally, a thumb-sized rover known as “AstroAnt,” developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is expected to operate on the roof of the MAPP rover to assess its health and take periodic temperature readings.

Exploration Plans and Future Missions

Furthermore, mission controllers plan to deploy a drone named Grace, which will make a series of hops around Athena’s landing site. This robot is expected to cover approximately 650 feet in four hops and could explore a nearby crater to scan for traces of hydrogen and deposits of ice. While Athena is on the lunar surface, it will also test a 4G communications system developed by Nokia. Company officials have stated that such a network could facilitate communications, telemetry, or other data exchanges between different spacecraft on the moon.

Looking Ahead: More Lunar Missions

The excitement surrounding lunar exploration is far from over. This summer, a lander and tiny rover developed by a Japanese company called ispace will attempt to land on the moon, near the center of a significant area. As these missions unfold, the potential for groundbreaking discoveries about the moon and its resources continues to grow.

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