Intuitive Machines’ ‘Athena’ Could Make Moonfall This Week

If all goes to plan, Intuitive Machines’ ‘Athena’ could be the third private lunar lander to successfully make moonfall, following its predecessor Odysseus and competitor Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost. [Courtesy: Intuitive Machines]

According to NASA, the company behind history’s only successful private lunar lander—Odysseus—could land a second vehicle on the moon as soon as this week.

The space agency anticipates the arrival of Intuitive Machines’ “Athena”—one of the firm’s Nova-C class landers, like Odysseus—at the lunar south pole as soon as Thursday at 12:32 p.m. EST. Coverage of the landing will start at 11:30 a.m. and be followed by a press conference with NASA and company leaders.

Athena is headed for Mons Mouton, the moon’s tallest named mountain. Unlike Odyssesus, which tipped over unexpectedly shortly after touchdown, Intuitive Machines believes it will conduct a range of experiments with NASA Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS)-backed technology.

Intuitive Machines’ “Grace” Micro Nova hopper, for example, is designed to “hop” in and out of craters that never receive sunlight. Researchers believe these regions—which will be explored further during the Artemis III human lunar landing scheduled for mid-2027—could contain water ice.

Athena on Monday successfully entered its planned lunar orbit and is expected to circle the moon nearly 40 times, giving time for the sun’s light to be cast over the south pole and power the lander’s solar panels. Already, it has collected stunning images of the rocky satellite below.

Firefly Aerospace landed its Blue Ghost on the moon Sunday, becoming the second private firm to accomplish the feat. NASA on Tuesday said it has begun its surface mission. Another private lander, Resilience from Japanese firm Ispace, is expected to land in May or June.

Last week, all three landers—Athena, Blue Ghost, and Resilience—were en route to the moon at the same time, the first time in history that has happened.

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Jack DaleoAuthor

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.