"Athena continues to be in excellent health and is expected to send lunar orbit selfies over the next two days before a landing attempt on March 6."

Intuitive Machines' second moon lander was launched on Wednesday atop a SpaceX rocket, setting off for the latest private U.S. moonshot one year after the company's first attempt ended early with a lopsided landing.

The lunar lander built by aerospace company Intuitive Machines launched Wednesday on an eight-day journey for its water-hunting mission on the moon.

Intuitive Machines is poised to launch its second lunar lander in as many years, marking a significant milestone in commercial space exploration.

The IM-2 mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:16 p.m. ET, February 26, 2025. Athena reached her intended orbit approximately 44 minutes later and established first communication at approximately 8:17 p.m. ET.

Intuitive Machines' Athena lunar lander, launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The IM-2 mission lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:16 p.m. ET, February 26,

Onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is Athena, Intuitive Machine’s second moon lander, with instruments designed to dig up lunar soil and search for compounds like frozen water.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying the Intuitive Machines' lunar lander spacecraft Athena. The lander is targeted to land in the moon's south polar region.