Intuitive Machines’ Athena Completes Southernmost Lunar Landing And Operates Payloads [UPDATED]

Intuitive Machines is gearing up for another historic moment as its Athena lander prepares to touch down on the Moon’s south pole today, 6 March 2025. The Athena landing is scheduled for 11:32 a.m. CST (5:32 p.m. GMT), with live coverage beginning an hour earlier.

This marks the second lunar mission for the Houston-based company as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) programme.

Intuitive Machines Confirms Athena’s Landing

Updated on 7th March

In their official release, Intuitive Machines confirmed that the Athena lander touched down just 250 meters from its target in a crater at the lunar south pole, marking the southernmost lunar landing ever. Also, the company confirmed that after landing, Athena was on its side.

Despite the lander’s batteries depleting, mission controllers successfully completed several key milestones, including NASA’s PRIME-1 experiment.

Due to the sun’s position, the lander’s solar panel orientation, and freezing temperatures, Athena is not expected to recharge. The mission has concluded, and teams are now analyzing the collected data.

Athena Landing: Intuitive Machines’ Second Mission Is Not 100% Success

The Athena lander, built by Intuitive Machines, touched down at 17:30 UTC on Thursday in the Mons Mouton region, just 160 km from the lunar South Pole. However, early telemetry suggests the lander may be lying on its side rather than upright as planned.

“We had a successful seven-day journey to the Moon and have achieved a great deal,” said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus at a press conference. “However, we don’t believe Athena is in the correct orientation. We’re still gathering data and images to assess the situation.”

This marks the company’s second Moon landing, but also its second unexpected landing position. Last year, the Odysseus lander tipped over after a rough descent, preventing its solar panels from properly charging. Whether Athena will face similar challenges remains to be seen as engineers analyze its condition on the lunar surface.

How to Watch the Athena Moon Landing Live

Space enthusiasts can watch the landing live via multiple sources:

• Intuitive Machines’ YouTube channel
• NASA+ streaming service
• The IM-2 mission page on Intuitive Machines’ website

The broadcast will begin at 10:30 a.m. CST (4:30 p.m. GMT), providing live updates on Athena’s final descent and touchdown attempt.

Where Will Athena Land?

Athena is targeting a landing site in Mons Mouton, a region near the Moon’s south pole. This area is of high scientific interest due to the potential presence of water ice, a critical resource for future human exploration.

Athena’s Mission Objectives

Athena was launched on 26 February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and is carrying NASA’s PRIME-1 experiment, which aims to search for water ice beneath the lunar surface. This includes the TRIDENT drill, designed to extract samples from up to 1 metre (3 feet) deep, and the MSolo spectrometer, which will analyse the samples for signs of water ice.

In addition to PRIME-1, Athena also carries several other innovative technologies. The Grace Hopper hopping” probe will explore shadowed regions within a 1.6 km (1 mile) radius of the landing site, providing crucial data on permanently shadowed craters.

The MAPP mini-rover, built by Lunar Outpost, will test mobility and prospecting capabilities on the rugged lunar terrain. Furthermore, Athena features Nokia’s 4G/LTE network, making history as the first mobile network on the Moon, which will enable communication between the lander and its robotic systems.

The Athena Landing Sequence

Athena’s descent will follow a complex automated sequence, including:

1. Descent Orbit Insertion (DOI) – Adjusting trajectory for landing.
2. Powered Descent Initiation (PDI) – Firing the main engine to slow down.
3. Hazard Detection and Avoidance – Using onboard cameras to pick a safe landing spot.
4. Vertical Descent – Slowing down to just 1 metre per second before touchdown.

Once on the surface, Athena will operate for approximately 10 days before the lunar night sets in.

This mission represents another major step for private lunar exploration, furthering NASA’s goal of a sustained human presence on the Moon under the Artemis programme.