NASA is about to launch a groundbreaking mission that could uncover one of the Moon's biggest secrets: its hidden water.
As part of the agency's push to return to the lunar surface, the upcoming Intuitive Machines IM-2 mission will hunt for water beneath the Moon's surface, while testing new technologies that could pave the way for future human exploration.
The IM-2 mission is set to launch on February 26 as part of the agency's Artemis campaign and its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The mission will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once the rocket launches, Intuitive Machines' Athena lander will spend about a week in transit, landing on the Moon no earlier than March 6.
Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander will deliver three NASA CLPS science and technology payloads to the lunar south pole as part of the IM-2 mission.
One of the more exciting aspects of the mission is the search for water on the Moon, an area of growing interest for scientists. While water has been confirmed on the Moon, researchers are still working to understand its origin and behavior. Scientists have identified water in both sunlit and shadowed regions, though questions remain about whether it is ancient water, a result of volcanic activity, or if it's a more recent addition, delivered by comet impacts or solar wind.
As part of the IM-2 mission, Athena will land on the Mons Mouton plateau in the Moon's South Pole, a location known to potentially harbor water in the form of ice. The lander will be equipped with a drill and mass spectrometer, allowing scientists to analyze the lunar soil for any signs of volatiles or gases, which could provide more information about the water's composition and presence under the surface.
Another significant payload of the mission is NASA's Lunar Trailblazer spacecraft, which will map the distribution of water in various forms across the lunar surface. This will be crucial for understanding how water is spread out and whether it could be used as a resource for future lunar settlers.
The mission is part of NASA's larger effort to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon through the Artemis program. The CLPS initiative plays a key role by enabling private companies like Intuitive Machines to send payloads to the Moon, helping reduce costs and speed up the pace of lunar exploration.
Intuitive Machines' IM-2 mission marks the company's second lunar landing for NASA, following the success of their Odysseus lander in 2024 -- which was the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the Moon since 1972.