SpaceX Successfully Launches Third Moon Landing Mission with Athena Lander.
Science and Technology
In February 2025, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) successfully launched its third moon landing mission of 2025, named 'Intuitive Machines (IM-2)' mission, carrying the Athena lander. The Nova-C class robotic lunar lander, developed by Houston, Texas-based Intuitive Machines Inc., was launched onboard the Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.
- The 15-feet tall (4.7 meters) Athena lander is expected to land on Mons Mouton, a flat-topped mountain located about 160 kilometers from the Moon's South Pole on March 6, 2025.
- The mission is a critical component of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and the Artemis program.
Main Point :- (i) The Athena lander is accompanied by a 3-foot (1 meter) drone, Grace, named after the late computer programming pioneer Grace Hopper.
(ii) The drone will attempt various test hops before venturing into a crater estimated to be 65 feet deep.
About Intuitive Machines Inc.
President: Stephen Altemus
Headquarters: Houston, Texas, USA
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