Athena to touchdown near Moon’s South Pole: Will it land next to Isro’s Vikram?

Intuitive Machines’ Athena lunar lander is scheduled to land in the Moon’s south polar region on March 6, 2025. This mission represents a pivotal advancement in lunar exploration, as Athena will contribute to the increasing number of spacecraft aimed at studying the Moon’s surface.

The lander is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and the Artemis program, which seeks to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon. Athena is set to land approximately 160 kilometers from the Moon’s South Pole, in proximity to the Mons Mouton area.

Its main goal is to investigate the lunar landscape and search for water ice, an essential resource for future human endeavors.

The lander is outfitted with a drill and two rovers, including a “hopper” drone named Grace, which is designed to conduct test hops across the lunar surface and potentially enter a nearby permanently shadowed crater.

While this mission is not directly associated with ISRO’s Vikram lander, which successfully touched down in the Moon’s south pole during the Chandrayaan-3 mission in August 2023, it will land near the vicinity of Vikram.

Vikram landed in the Shaksgam crater region of the lunar south pole, whereas Athena will focus on a different location near the Mons Mouton plateau. Athena’s landing is part of a larger initiative to explore the Moon’s resources and prepare for future human missions.

The success of this mission will further enhance the role of private enterprises in lunar exploration and set the stage for more ambitious projects under the Artemis program. As the lunar surface becomes increasingly populated with missions from various countries, Athena’s exploration of the south polar region will yield valuable insights into the Moon’s geology and potential resources.