Athena Mission: A New Chapter in Lunar Exploration
| Summary/Static | Details |
|---|---|
| Why in the news? | NASA and SpaceX to Launch Athena to Moon |
| Mission Name | Athena |
| Launch Date & Time | February 26, 2025, at 7:17 PM ET |
| Launch Vehicle | SpaceX Falcon 9 |
| Launch Site | NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| Target Landing Site | Mons Mouton, Moon's South Pole |
| Landing Date | March 6, 2025 (estimated) |
| Mission Duration | Several weeks |
| Primary Goal | Study lunar soil, search for subsurface water, test 4G communications |
| Main Payloads | MAPP Rover, AstroAnt Mini Rover, Grace Hopping Robot, Lunar Trailblazer |
| Additional Space Missions | SPHEREx (Feb 27), Starship Test (Feb 28), Firefly Moon Lander (March 1-2) |