Private Athena moon lander, built by Intuitive Machines, has indeed captured and sent back stunning images of Earth from space. Launched on February 26, 2025, atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, Athena snapped these remarkable shots shortly after deploying into its journey toward the moon. The photos include views of Earth in the background, with one notable image showing the Falcon 9's upper stage drifting beneath the lander, accompanied by bright specks that might be other payloads like NASA's Lunar Trailblazer orbiter or Astroforge's Odin probe.
Here's a breakdown of what's happening with the Athena moon lander, and related lunar missions:
- Athena's Mission (IM-2):
- This is the second lunar lander from Intuitive Machines.
- It launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Space Coast on February 26th, 2025.
- Athena has successfully sent back images of Earth from space, including views with the Falcon 9's upper stage.
- A key objective is to assess water ice at the lunar south pole using the PRIME-1 drill and mass spectrometer.
- It is planned to land on the moon on March 6th.
- Athena is also carrying other payloads, including the "Grace" hopping spacecraft, and the MAPP rover.
- It will also be setting up a 4G/LTE network on the moon, via a Nokia communications system.
- Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS):
- Athena's mission is part of NASA's CLPS program, which partners with private companies to deliver science and technology to the moon.
- This program is crucial for gathering data to support future Artemis missions with astronauts.
- Other Lunar Missions:
- Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander is also in lunar orbit, and has also sent back very impressive images of the moon, and is scheduled to land on March 2nd.
- There is also the Resilience lander, from ispace, that is also headed for the moon.
- Intuitive Machines had previously successfully landed the Odysseus lander on the moon in 2024.
It's a very active time for lunar exploration, with multiple private companies making significant strides.