A private company launched a lunar lander on February 27 to explore a permanently shadowed crater near the moon’s south pole. The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines and named Athena, departed from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX rocket. The mission is set to land on March 6 and deploy a drone, named Grace, to investigate a crater that never receives sunlight. Last year, the same company accomplished the first U.S. lunar landing in over five decades, but the lander tipped over upon touchdown. The surge in lunar missions includes recent launches by American and Japanese firms, with Texas-based Firefly Aerospace expected to reach the moon first. NASA contributed $62 million to this project, funding scientific instruments to aid future crewed lunar expeditions. The mission aims to provide insight into ice deposits that could be converted into essential resources for extended space exploration.

The lander, measuring 4.7 meters, is expected to land 160 kilometers from the lunar south pole. The drone Grace, named after computing pioneer Grace Hopper, will attempt multiple test hops before descending into a crater about 20 meters deep. Hydrazine-fueled thrusters will facilitate movement, while cameras and lasers will assist navigation. Instruments from Hungary and Germany will assess the crater’s conditions and search for frozen water. NASA’s drill requires an upright landing to extract subsurface soil samples. This endeavor marks a pivotal step in space exploration, offering insights into lunar geology and the feasibility of sustainable habitation.