Mission Details
| Mission Name: IM-2 |
| Mission Type: Lunar Lander |
| COSPAR: 2025-038A |
| NSSDCA: PRIME-1 |
| NORAD: N/A |
| Operator: Intuitive Machines, Inc. |
| Launching State: United States of America |
| Location: Mons Mouton Plateau |
| Latitude: 84.7906° N |
| Longitude: 29.1957° E |
| Launch Date: 27 February 2025, 00:16 UT |
| Landing Date: 6 March 2025, 17:30 UT |
| Image Source: All: Intuitive Machines, Inc |
Description
The Intuitive Machines 2 (IM-2) mission, also designated TO PRIME-1, aimed to demonstrate in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) and measure subsurface volatile content by landing the Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment-1 (PRIME-1) near the Moon’s south pole. Launched on 27 February 2025 at 00:16 UT (26 February, 7:16 p.m. EST) aboard a Falcon 9 from Kennedy Space Center, the mission utilized the Nova-C landing platform “Athena,” developed by Intuitive Machines under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The Lunar Trailblazer mission accompanied it as a secondary spacecraft. On 6 March 2025 at approximately 17:30 UT (12:30 p.m. EST), Athena touched down on the Mons Mouton plateau near the south pole at coordinates 84.7906° S, 29.1957° E. Although communications were established, the lander was found resting on its side, unable to generate sufficient power for sustained operations.
The mission’s primary payload, PRIME-1, consisted of two key instruments: The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploring New Terrain (TRIDENT), a 1-meter augering drill capable of depositing samples at any commanded depth for surface analysis, and the Mass Spectrometer observing lunar operations (MSolo), a modified commercial off-the-shelf mass spectrometer adapted for lunar conditions. With a total mass of about 40 kg, PRIME-1 aimed to assess lunar ice and volatiles. Additional payloads included the Yaoki rover, a small “hopper,” a Nokia LTE 4G communications system for testing, and a lunar laser retroreflector. The Athena lander, a tall hexagonal cylinder supported by six legs, had a payload capacity of 100–130 kg. It relied on solar panels generating 200 W of power and used liquid methane and liquid oxygen for propulsion and landing.
Despite its challenging landing orientation, IM-2 advanced the development of ISRU technologies and contributed to lunar resource exploration near the south pole, supporting future sustainable missions.
Above: Lander photographed pre-launch.
Below: IM-2 lander on the surface of the Moon.
Heritage Consideration
IM-2 represents an early milestone in commercial lunar exploration, testing critical ISRU technologies near the lunar south pole, though its sideways landing limited operational success compared to fully upright landings like Blue Ghost Mission 1.
