NASA sends Athena” for an exciting water hunt on the moon!

NASA sends Athena” for an exciting water hunt on the moon!

NASA sent the unmanned lunar lander “Athena” into space on February 27, 2025 using SpaceX’s “Falcon 9” rocket. This mission, conducted under NASA's CLPS program and in collaboration with Intuitive Machines, is scheduled to land in the Moon's south polar region on March 6. "Athena" has been equipped with state-of-the-art instruments, including a drill capable of penetrating up to one meter into the lunar surface and a mass spectrometer to analyze the chemical composition, as well as a drone called "Grace" that will be used to explore Marston Crater. This mission could provide groundbreaking insights into the water reserves on the moon and is considered a crucial step for future lunar missions Krone.at.

Challenges and advances in lunar research

Landing on the moon is technically extremely demanding. Intuitive Machines successfully completed the first commercial moon landing with the “Odysseus” in 2024, albeit with a bumpy end as the lander tipped over. Current preparations for the Athena mission include extensive testing and adjustments to technology to improve landing accuracy. According to the reports, after the successful launch, the lander made contact with the Earth's surface 45 minutes later. This underscores the advances in lunar exploration, especially given that NASA and Intuitive Machines are continually working to improve technologies to find both raw materials and water on the Moon, which could support future manned missions such as Wikipedia highlights.

In addition to its scientific objectives, the Athena mission introduces technical innovations, including the deployment of a 4G network on the lunar surface, which could be a revolutionary development for space communications. The team behind Intuitive Machines plans to use the new technology not only to support lunar missions, but also to collect data for the long-term development of resources on Earth's satellite. The international attention to this mission demonstrates the growing interest in space exploration and the possibilities the Moon holds for humanity.