SpaceX Rocket Launches Private Lander for Moon’s South Pole Mission
NASA and SpaceX launch a private lunar mission to explore a dark crater near the Moon’s south pole, using the Athena lander and Grace drone for research.
image for illustrative purpose
NASA continues its push to expand private sector involvement in lunar exploration, with a recent mission aiming to deploy a drone into a permanently shadowed crater near the Moon’s south pole. The mission, part of NASA’s broader strategy for future human exploration, includes a privately developed lander and a scientific payload.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Athena lander, built by Intuitive Machines, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The lander is set to descend onto the Moon on March 6, targeting a region approximately 100 miles from the lunar south pole. The designated landing zone is near a crater known as Jet Black, an area that has never received sunlight.
As part of its mission, the Athena lander will deploy a drone named ‘Grace’ into the crater’s darkness. This autonomous drone, inspired by computing pioneer Grace Hopper, is equipped with hydrogen-fueled thrusters to navigate the challenging environment. It carries cameras and laser-based sensors designed to analyze the lunar surface during flight.
In addition to the lander, NASA also launched the Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft aboard the same Falcon 9 rocket. The Trailblazer is tasked with orbiting the Moon to identify and study regions where shadows might hold traces of frozen water.
