Another private moon mission takes off: Why private companies are racing to land on the Moon

Athena, a robotic lunar lander built by Intuitive Machines, is on its way to the Moons south pole, aiming for the closest landing site yet. Equipped with a drill, a rover, and a hopping drone, its mission is to search for water ice—potentially a game-changer for future space exploration. Backed by NASA, this mission follows the companys first lunar landing, which ended with a tipped-over spacecraft. This time, theyre aiming for precision. If successful, Athena could unlock crucial lunar resources.