Intuitive Machines collaborated with SpaceX to launch the lunar lander Athena, with a planned landing near the moon's south pole scheduled for March 6. Athena's primary goal is to overcome the challenges faced by its predecessor, which tipped over during landing last year due to a distance gauging instrument failure.
NASA is providing $62 million to Intuitive Machines for conducting experiments and deploying equipment to explore the moon, with a focus on potential discoveries of frozen water. Athena, standing at 15 feet, will work alongside a drone named Grace, conducting test hops and collecting data to detect water in a permanently shadowed crater.