IM-2 Moon mission: SpaceX's Falcon 9 to search for water ice near lunar south pole

SpaceX successfully launched its third Moon landing mission of 2025 on Wednesday, sending the Athena lander into space aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. (AP photo)

The mission, called IM-2, is led by Intuitive Machines and marks its second attempt at a lunar landing following last year’s IM-1 mission. (AP photo)

The IM-2 lander is equipped with a range of scientific experiments, including Nasa payloads to investigate lunar ice deposits near the Moon's south pole. Unlike its predecessor, which landed but toppled over, the company is aiming for a more stable landing this time. (AP photo)

If successful, IM-2 will enhance the role of private companies in lunar exploration, contributing to Nasa's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon later this decade. (AP photo)

The Athena lander is on a fast-track mission to the Moon, targeting a landing on March 6. This time, Intuitive Machines aims to avoid the mishap that befell its predecessor, which landed but tipped over due to a faulty distance gauge. (PTI photo)

For the first time, multiple spacecraft are attempting Moon landings at once. Last month, US and Japanese landers launched, with Firefly Aerospace set to arrive this weekend. Both US landers, including IM-2, carry Nasa experiments for future crewed missions. (AP photo)

IM-2 is aiming to land 100 miles (160 km) from the lunar south pole, near a permanently shadowed crater thought to hold frozen water. A key feature of the mission is Grace, a drone that will perform test hops before exploring the 65-foot-deep (20-meter) crater. Carrying instruments from Hungary and Germany, Grace will gather important data and search for water ice, a potential resource for future lunar missions. (AP photo)