SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Athena Lander 5w1854 NASA's Lunar Trailblazer to Moon

SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Athena and Lunar Trailblazer to advance lunar water ice exploration and future missions. 3yyg

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 4 March 2025 19:00 IST

Photo Credit: Intuitive Machines 6o2v2z

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches Athena Lander, NASA's Lunar Trailblazer to Moon

Highlights

SpaceX Falcon 9 launched Athena lander, NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer on Feb 2
Athena will drill for lunar ice, while Lunar Trailblazer maps water depos
Mission includes MAPP rover, Grace robot for enhanced lunar exploration

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA's Lunar Trailblazer orbiter. The launch, which took place at 7:16 p.m. EST from Launch Complex-39A, marked a significant step in lunar exploration. Athena, developed by Intuitive Machines, is designed to investigate lunar water ice deposits, while Lunar Trailblazer will study similar phenomena from orbit.

Scientific Goals and Technology 4p1h4q

As per TRIDENT) and the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations (MSolo), both of which will work to extract and analyse samples from beneath the lunar surface. These investigations aim to provide critical data on the presence of water ice, ing future in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) efforts.

Lunar Trailblazer, an orbiter developed by NASA, will complement Athena's findings by mapping water ice deposits across the lunar surface. Scientists have stated that its data will enhance the understanding of lunar ice distribution, particularly in the Mons Mouton region, where Athena is expected to land.

Athena Lunar Mission Set to Deploy 'Gracie' Hopper on Moon

Landing Plans and Exploration Vehicles 24h4r

Reports indicate that Athena will reach lunar orbit in four to five days and attempt a landing between 1.5 and three days after that. The mission will last approximately ten Earth days. To extend its exploration capabilities, Athena carries two secondary vehicles: MAPP, a rover designed by Lunar Outpost, and Grace, a hopping robot developed by Intuitive Machines. Grace will explore shadowed craters inaccessible to wheeled vehicles, while MAPP will establish a lunar cellular network using the Lunar Surface Communications System (LSCS) developed by Nokia Bell Labs.

Challenges and Expectations 5v552i

This mission follows Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission, which achieved the first soft lunar landing by a private company but encountered a landing issue that affected data transmission. Trent Martin, Senior Vice President of Space Systems at Intuitive Machines, stated to Space.com that improved landing accuracy is a primary focus for IM-2.

NASA's contract for IM-2 was initially valued at $47 million but increased to $62.5 million due to additional requirements, including temperature data collection. Reports suggest that Athena and Lunar Trailblazer are part of a broader lunar exploration effort, ing missions such as Firefly Aerospace's Ghost Riders in the Sky and ispace's Resilience lander, both launched earlier in 2025.

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