An American Company Prepares to Launch a Lunar Mission
The American company Intuitive Machines hopes to replicate its previous success after making history as the first private company to land a spacecraft on the Moon. This time, the goal is to achieve a controlled and smooth landing on the lunar surface.
Based in Texas, the company is set to launch a new lunar probe this week, according to Agence France-Presse. The probe will carry various instruments, including a NASA satellite designed to study the Moon’s surface.
The rocket carrying these space instruments, operated by SpaceX, is scheduled for launch this Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center on the east coast of the United States.
With this $62.5 million mission, Intuitive Machines aims to strengthen its position in a booming market, as lunar missions multiply, driven by both governments and private companies.
Additional launch windows will be available in case of poor weather conditions or last-minute technical issues.
In February 2024, Intuitive Machines successfully landed a probe on the Moon, marking a historic first for a private company.
However, due to a navigation system failure, the spacecraft approached the lunar surface too quickly, resulting in the destruction of at least one of its six landing legs upon touchdown.
To prevent a similar issue, the company is using a new device called Athena, which is also being sent on behalf of NASA.
According to the space agency, this new probe is expected to attempt a lunar landing on March 6.
This mission comes just days before another planned attempt by the American company Firefly Aerospace, which is set to execute a complex maneuver this Sunday.
Lunar Soil Drilling
The Athena probe will carry various payloads, including NASA scientific instruments, a system aimed at establishing a cellular network on the Moon, and a small robot capable of jumping, allowing it to explore hard-to-reach areas.
Among the planned experiments, NASA intends to drill into the lunar soil to analyze the “frozen gases” found beneath the surface, explained Niki Werkheiser, NASA’s Director of Technology Development, during a press conference.
She stated that “these gases could be a valuable resource,” emphasizing that the experiment represents “a crucial step in understanding and utilizing lunar resources for future explorations.”
The agency also hopes to deepen its knowledge of the Moon’s South Pole, a region never before visited by humans, which has drawn significant interest due to its water ice deposits.
This mission is part of NASA’s preparations for future human missions under the Artemis program.
However, these efforts could face challenges under the presidency of Donald Trump, who has expressed skepticism about returning to the Moon and may prefer to focus resources on Mars exploration instead.
