Intuitive Machines IM-2 Set To Land On Moon Today

Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based aerospace company, will safely land their second lunar robotic mission on the moon early this afternoon. The IM-2 mission, featuring the Nova-C class lunar lander named Athena, is scheduled to softly touch down on the Moon at 12:32 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

This marks the second lunar landing attempt within a week, following Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander, which touched down near a volcanic lunar feature called Mons Latreille within Mare Crisium (The Sea of Crises), a large basin located in the northeast quadrant of the Moon’s near side. Additionally, Japan’s Hakuto-R Mission 2 is scheduled for a lunar landing in June, further demonstrating the increasing involvement of commercial and international entities in lunar exploration. This ongoing activity demonstrated NASA and private companies working to land on the moon for scientific advancements.

IM-2 Athena Mission Overview

The IM-2 mission, part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, aims to deliver scientific instruments and technology demonstrations to the lunar surface. Launched on February 27, 2025, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Athena is set to touch down near the Moon’s South Pole, specifically targeting the flat-topped Mons Mouton region, located approximately 160 kilometers from the lunar south pole. Achieving the goal to land on the moon’s south pole could be highly advantageous for future missions.

Scientific Objectives and Payloads

Athena carries a suite of payloads designed to enhance our understanding of the lunar environment and resources:

• PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1): This primary payload consists of the TRIDENT drill and the MSolo mass spectrometer, aiming to detect and analyze water ice beneath the lunar surface. The presence of water ice is crucial for future lunar exploration, serving as a potential resource for life support and fuel production.
  
• Micro-Nova Hopper “Grace”: A drone equipped with a neutron spectrometer, Grace is designed to explore permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) within the nearby Marston crater. Its mission is to provide the first surface measurements of hydrogen in these PSRs, an essential indicator of water presence on the moon.
  
• Lunar Outpost’s MAPP Rover: This commercial rover will autonomously map the lunar surface, capture stereo images, and collect thermal data. It is equipped to inspect samples of lunar regolith, contributing to the assessment of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) potential.
  
• Nokia’s Lunar Cellular Network: In collaboration with Nokia, the mission will deploy the first cellular network on the Moon, utilizing LTE technology to facilitate efficient data transmission between lunar assets and Earth.

Significance of the South Pole Landing Site

The selection of Mons Mouton near the lunar South Pole is strategic due to its potential resource-rich environment. The region is believed to harbor water ice deposits, making it an ideal site for landing on the moon to explore water sources.

Mons Mouton is the highest named lunar mountain, and is named after NASA mathematician and computer programmer Melba Roy Mouton. The International Astronomical Union criteria for naming mountains (mons) on the Moon focuses on “scientists who have made outstanding or fundamental contributions to their fields.” The lunar landmark naming honors and recognizes Mouton’s life, her accomplishments as a computer scientist, and her contributions to NASA’s missions. Soon, her namesake will have a NASA mission standing tall on it.

Both NASA and Intuitive Machines will provide live coverage of the landing, beginning at 11:30 a.m. EST on the IM-2 mission page and the NASA+ streaming service.