SpaceX launches Athena lander toward the moon successfully

SpaceX launched Intuitive Machines’ Athena lander toward the moon on February 26, 2025, as part of the IM-2 mission. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:16 p.m. ET. This mission marks the first time three lunar missions are heading to the moon at the same time. The other two missions are Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost and Japan’s ispace Resilience, both launched on January 14. Athena is set to reach the moon's South Pole on March 6, 2025. It aims to demonstrate lunar mobility and resource analysis. This is Intuitive Machines' second lunar mission, following a successful landing in February 2024.