A private lunar lander, Athena, has sent back breathtaking images of Earth from space, capturing a unique view of our planet shortly after its launch. Built by Intuitive Machines, the lander lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s Space Coast on February 26, 2025.

Athena’s First Moments In Space

Athena’s launch was smooth, and within hours of deployment, the lander sent back its first images. Among the most striking shots is one that shows the Falcon 9’s upper stage still floating in space, with bright specks of other payloads that launched alongside it. These include NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer orbiter and Odin, a probe developed by the asteroid-mining company Astroforge.

Shortly after reaching space, Athena established stable communication, began charging its solar panels, and prepared for a series of engine burns. These maneuvers will refine its trajectory before entering lunar orbit on March 3. If all goes according to plan, Athena will make its landing attempt just three days later.

“The lander is in excellent health and preparing for a series of planned main engine firings to refine her trajectory ahead of lunar orbit insertion, which is planned for March 3. Intuitive Machines expects a lunar landing opportunity on March 6.” Intuitive Machines inform us.

Mission Objectives And Scientific Payloads

Athena’s mission is set to revolutionize lunar exploration with its cutting-edge scientific payloads aimed at unlocking the Moon’s hidden resources. At the heart of this effort is PRIME-1 (Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment 1), a sophisticated system designed to detect and analyze water ice deposits near the Moon’s south pole.

Equipped with a deep-drilling tool, it will extract subsurface material, while a mass spectrometer will examine its composition to determine the viability of lunar ice as a future resource. Beyond PRIME-1, Athena carries two innovative robotic explorers: Grace, a hopping spacecraft designed to navigate craters and challenging terrains, and MAPP, a small rover developed by Lunar Outpost to assist in surface exploration.

These machines will rely on Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communication System, which will deploy the first 4G/LTE network on the Moon, paving the way for seamless wireless communication in future lunar operations. By demonstrating these technologies, Athena’s mission is not just a step toward lunar exploration—it is a leap toward building a sustainable lunar infrastructure for future human missions.

Competition In The Private Lunar Race

Intuitive Machines is making rapid progress in the commercial lunar sector. In February 2024, its first lander, Odysseus, became the first private spacecraft to successfully land on the Moon. However, Athena will face competition in becoming the next successful lunar lander.

Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost lander is also on its way to the Moon, with a landing attempt set for March 2. Also, Tokyo-based ispace launched its Resilience lander in January, aiming for a touchdown later this year. These missions mark an exciting time for private space exploration.

The Future Of Lunar Exploration

NASA’s Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon within the next few years, and missions like Athena IM-2 are playing a crucial role in paving the way. By testing lunar communication networks, resource extraction technologies, and robotic exploration, private companies are becoming key players in shaping the next era of space exploration.

Athena’s successful landing on March 6 could mark another milestone in the commercialization of lunar exploration. If the lander operates as planned, it will provide invaluable data for future crewed Moon missions, setting the stage for a permanent human presence beyond Earth.