Mission moon: NASA to launch lunar lander ‘Athena’ with SpaceX Falcon 9 on Feb 26; when and where to watch lift-off

US space agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is preparing to launch its mission moon on February 26. The spacecraft Nova-C lander ‘Athena’ on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled for a lift-off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center from Launch Complex 39A.

This mission is a part of NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign. In a post on X, NASA stated, “To the Moon! On Feb. 26, NASA science and tech are set to launch on @Int_Machines’ Nova-C lander, Athena. Watch live coverage of our second lunar mission with Intuitive Machines here on X.” 

When and where to watch launch of lunar lander ‘Athena’ with SpaceX Falcon 9?

The Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission, carrying NASA science investigations and technology demonstrations to the Moon, will be streamed online. Space enthusiasts can watch the live launch coverage on NASA+. The prelaunch events will begin Tuesday, February 25, while the exact launch time will be announced today.

“Launch coverage will begin on NASA+ approximately 45 minutes before liftoff. A specific time will be shared the week of Feb. 24,” NASA's official website states. Interested viewers can watch the lift-off at the official website of NASA at https://www.nasa.gov/live.

When will Intuitive Machines' spacecraft land on the moon?

Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander will spend around one week in transit to the Moon following the launch. As per the space agency, the spacecraft will make a landing on the lunar surface possibly on Thursday, March 6, or later.

“Among the items on Intuitive Machines’ lander, the IM-2 mission will be one of the first on-site demonstrations of resource use on the Moon. A drill and mass spectrometer will measure the potential presence of volatiles or gases from lunar soil in Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau in the Moon’s South Pole,” NASA said.

This mission aims to develop a further understanding of the Moon’s environment and help in future human missions to the lunar surface as part of NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach.