SpaceX Launch Set to Deliver Water-Hunting Lander and Orbiter to the Moon

The mission aims to explore the moon's south pole for water ice and other resources, advancing lunar exploration and future space missions.

The Intuitive Machines Athena lander and NASA's Lunar Trailblazer orbiter are scheduled to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7:17 PM EST from Kennedy Space Center.
Athena will target the moon’s south pole, carrying NASA’s PRIME-1 drill to search for water ice and volatiles beneath the lunar surface.
The Lunar Trailblazer satellite will orbit the moon for 20 months to map water distribution and assess its potential use for supporting human exploration.
Athena’s mission includes deploying a robotic hopper and rover to explore shadowed craters and test lunar cellular networks, marking several technological firsts.
The mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, supporting efforts to establish a sustainable lunar economy and infrastructure.