Intuitive Machines IM-2 Mission Set to Launch, Carrying NASA Science to the Moon Aboard SpaceX Falcon 9

Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission, carrying NASA science and technology under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign, is scheduled for launch no earlier than February 26 from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will propel the Athena lunar lander towards the Moon, with live coverage on NASA+ starting February 25. The lander is expected to reach the lunar surface around March 6. The IM-2 mission aims to demonstrate resource utilization on the Moon, deploying a drill and mass spectrometer to analyze lunar soil for volatiles at Mons Mouton. A Laser Retroreflector Array will provide a permanent reference point for future spacecraft. The mission also includes testing a surface communications system and a propulsive drone. NASA's Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft will launch alongside IM-2 to map water distribution on the Moon.