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Live coverage: SpaceX to launch Intuitive Machines’ Moon lander on Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center
- Intuitive Machines is preparing to send its Nova-C lander, named Athena, to the Moon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center.
- The mission, scheduled for March 6, aims to last 10 Earth days and is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program.
- The company received over $62 million from NASA to transport two science payloads to the lunar surface.
- Intuitive Machines is optimistic about the upcoming mission, building on lessons learned from its previous lunar mission - IM-1.
- The new mission will land at Mons Mouton near the Moon's South Pole, with a strategic importance regarding national interests.
- Athena will carry various payloads, including cameras for public images and instruments to examine the lunar regolith for volatiles gases and water ice.
- The mission also includes commercial payloads like rovers, a lunar surface communications system, and a tech demonstration for future Moon explorations.
- Intuitive Machines will deploy a rocket-propelled drone named Grace to extend exploratory reach, conducting hops in challenging lunar regions.
- Grace will carry science payloads to study stable water ice deposits and lunar surface temperatures in permanently shadowed regions.
- The IM-2 mission will also host separate rideshare payloads, including NASA's Lunar Trailblazer and AstroForge's Odin spacecraft on a flyby mission to an asteroid.
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