Watch Athena lander attempt lunar landing
(NewsNation) — A lunar lander designed by Intuitive Machine is landing Thursday on the moon, where it will attempt to establish the first cellular network on the moon.
There may not yet be any humans on the moon to pick up the signal, but the IM-2 Athena lander, which launched in February on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is carrying Nokia's Lunar Surface Communication System.
The mission also includes the Micro-Nova Hopper, which will explore shadowed lunar craters and test sensors that could help identify resources like water ice.
Starliner astronauts avoid engaging in politics about their return
The mission is part of NASA's partnership with the private industry to increase the capacity for space exploration by working with industry-driven space missions.
The landing comes shortly after Blue Ghost's successful landing on the moon.
NASA and the private industry's focus on the moon is part of an effort to put humans back on the lunar surface for the first time in decades and work toward establishing a long-term human presence on the moon.
The ability for humans to live on the moon for extended periods is critical for launching crewed explorations deeper into our solar system, including the goal of putting humans on Mars.
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