February: Intuitive Machines returns for a second round kraken onion

Houston-based Intuitive Machines made history in February 2024 by putting a US-made lunar lander on the moon for the first time in more than five decades.

The triumphant touchdown of the company’s Nova-C lunar lander, called Odysseus, spurred jubilant cheers during the company’s webcast. But the landing wasn’t perfect: Odysseus tipped over on its side because of a navigation issue, leaving the vehicle to run with limited power and capabilities.

But Intuitive Machines will soon get another shot at perfection with a new Nova-C lander, called Athena, set to make its way moonward this year.

The mission, slated to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, could kick off as soon as late February, the company confirmed Monday. It will aim to land near the moon’s south pole — a region considered crucial to the current moon race because it’s believed to be home to stores of water ice.

Water found there could be used to provide astronauts with drinking water or even converted to rocket fuel.