IM-2
Athena rests sideways after landing | |
| Mission type | Lunar landing |
|---|---|
| Operator | Intuitive Machines |
| COSPAR ID | 2025-038A |
| SATCAT no. | 63099 |
| Mission duration | 8 days, 5 hours, 59 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Athena |
| Spacecraft type | Nova-C |
| Manufacturer | Intuitive Machines |
| Launch mass | 2,120 kg (4,670 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 27 February 2025, 00:16:30 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 B1083-9 |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 7 March 2025, 06:15 UTC |
| Lunar lander | |
| Landing date | 6 March 2025, 17:28:50 UTC |
| Landing site | Mons Mouton (84°47′26″S 29°11′45″E / 84.7906°S 29.1957°E) |
IM-2 mission insignia Motto: INTER LUCEM ET TENEBRAS (Between Light and Darkness) | |
IM-2 was a lunar mission run by Intuitive Machines as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. It was launched on 27 February 2025, at 00:16:30 UTC. The Nova-C lunar lander, named Athena, reached the surface of the Moon on 6 March 2025, at 17:28:50 UTC. Contact was temporarily lost during the landing process; when it was re-established, it indicated that the spacecraft was not in the correct orientation and one of the two radio antennas was not operating. The sideways orientation prevented the spacecraft from generating sufficient power. By 7 March, Athena's power had been fully depleted and was not expected to replenish, bringing the mission to its end.
Athena was designed to investigate the presence and quantity of lunar water ice using PRIME-1, a payload of a drill and mass spectrometer. Athena also carried a drone that was equipped with a neutron spectrometer to explore the permanently shadowed region (PSR) of Marston crater near the landing site. The mission aimed to measure hydrogen in the PSR, looking for indications of solid water ice.