A private company launched a lunar lander on February 27 to study a crater near the moon’s south pole that never receives sunlight. The spacecraft, called Athena and built by Intuitive Machines, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on a SpaceX rocket. The mission aims to land on March 6, deploying a drone named Grace to explore the crater’s surface. Last year, the company completed the first U.S. lunar landing in over fifty years, though the lander lost stability. More companies, including American and Japanese firms, are joining lunar exploration, with Firefly Aerospace expected to reach the moon first. NASA contributed $62 million, funding scientific tools to support future crewed missions.

The lander, standing 4.7 meters tall, is set to land 160 kilometers from the south pole. The drone Grace, named after computing expert Grace Hopper, will test multiple hops before entering a 20-meter-deep crater. It will use hydrazine-fueled thrusters for movement and cameras and lasers for navigation. Researchers from Hungary and Germany will analyze conditions and search for frozen water. NASA’s drill must land upright to collect soil samples. This mission marks a major step in space exploration, offering vital data on lunar geology and future space habitation.