Intuitive Machines set to launch second lunar lander Athena on February 26

Intuitive Machines plans to launch its second lunar lander, Athena, on February 26, 2025. This mission follows last year's successful but unstable landing of its first lander, Odysseus. Athena will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Athena is equipped with NASA instruments, including a drill and mass spectrometer. These tools aim to demonstrate resource use on the moon by measuring soil volatiles at the lunar South Pole. The mission will take about a week to reach the moon, with a landing attempt expected around March 6. This mission provides Intuitive Machines another opportunity to achieve a stable landing.