Space X Initiates Moon Lander Launch
A commercial lunar lander is transporting NASA instruments as the agency gears up for the return of astronauts to the Moon. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A private spacecraft carrying millions of dollars’ worth of NASA instruments has launched into space.
US private space technology company SpaceX successfully sent a rocket into orbit with a lunar lander aboard. The lander, named Athena and manufactured by Texas-based Intuitive Machines, began its mission on Wednesday and is expected to deliver NASA instruments to the Moon in approximately eight days. This effort is part of NASA's ongoing goal to eventually return humans to the lunar surface.
The launch occurred from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:17 p.m. local time, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Athena is headed towards Mons Mouton, a plateau located near the Moon's South Pole, which NASA described as “closer to the pole than any preceding lunar mission.”
Athena is transporting NASA instruments valued in the millions, intended for the extraction of lunar soil samples and the identification of points of interest on the Moon’s surface.
This launch aligns with a NASA initiative that facilitates the delivery of instruments to various lunar locations via US private companies, taking place twice a year. These lunar delivery services aim to enhance understanding of the Moon’s environment, facilitating potential crewed missions as part of the agency's Artemis campaign.
The Moon is about to get a new visitor - and her name's Athena!
On Feb 26 at 7:16pm ET, @Int_Machines' Athena lander lifted off on a @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from LC-39A. With @NASA payloads onboard, this flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and… pic.twitter.com/YXGgrlanTA
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center February 27, 2025
Launched in 2017, the Artemis mission is named after the Greek goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo, in tribute to the first Moon landing in 1969. The aim of the current mission is to position the first woman on the lunar surface.
In December, NASA announced that the Artemis II and III missions, which focus on returning astronauts to the Moon, have been postponed until 2026 and 2027 due to technical difficulties. The missions will initially involve the Orion spacecraft performing a flyby around the Moon in automatic mode, before subsequently carrying a crew for the actual landing.
Intuitive Machines' previous spacecraft launched in February 2024 but was powered down a week after landing on the Moon. Nevertheless, the uncrewed robot managed to relay images and data to ground controllers throughout its week on the lunar surface.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
US private space technology company SpaceX successfully sent a rocket into orbit with a lunar lander aboard. The lander, named Athena and manufactured by Texas-based Intuitive Machines, began its mission on Wednesday and is expected to deliver NASA instruments to the Moon in approximately eight days. This effort is part of NASA's ongoing goal to eventually return humans to the lunar surface.
The launch occurred from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:17 p.m. local time, utilizing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Athena is headed towards Mons Mouton, a plateau located near the Moon's South Pole, which NASA described as “closer to the pole than any preceding lunar mission.”
Athena is transporting NASA instruments valued in the millions, intended for the extraction of lunar soil samples and the identification of points of interest on the Moon’s surface.
This launch aligns with a NASA initiative that facilitates the delivery of instruments to various lunar locations via US private companies, taking place twice a year. These lunar delivery services aim to enhance understanding of the Moon’s environment, facilitating potential crewed missions as part of the agency's Artemis campaign.
The Moon is about to get a new visitor - and her name's Athena!
On Feb 26 at 7:16pm ET, @Int_Machines' Athena lander lifted off on a @SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from LC-39A. With @NASA payloads onboard, this flight is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and… pic.twitter.com/YXGgrlanTA
— NASA's Kennedy Space Center February 27, 2025
Launched in 2017, the Artemis mission is named after the Greek goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo, in tribute to the first Moon landing in 1969. The aim of the current mission is to position the first woman on the lunar surface.
In December, NASA announced that the Artemis II and III missions, which focus on returning astronauts to the Moon, have been postponed until 2026 and 2027 due to technical difficulties. The missions will initially involve the Orion spacecraft performing a flyby around the Moon in automatic mode, before subsequently carrying a crew for the actual landing.
Intuitive Machines' previous spacecraft launched in February 2024 but was powered down a week after landing on the Moon. Nevertheless, the uncrewed robot managed to relay images and data to ground controllers throughout its week on the lunar surface.
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
