Humanity is on the verge of setting another space record with a lunar launch occurring this week.

      The Intuitive Machines IM-2 lander is prepared for launch.

      This week, Intuitive Machines will set a new milestone in space exploration as it launches its Athena lunar lander for the IM-2 mission. It will accompany Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost and ispace's Resilience, both already in space, marking the first time three lunar landers have been en route to the Moon simultaneously. “Humanity has never seen three lunar landers on their way to the Moon at the same time, and Athena is prepared to rise to the challenge,” said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, in a statement. “This significant opportunity to make history is built not just on technology but on the unwavering commitment of our team, who have made our vision of a consistent schedule of lunar missions a reality.”

      It is significant that all three landers come from private companies, highlighting the increasing interest in private lunar exploration. Nonetheless, landing on the Moon remains a significant challenge, with only one commercial entity having successfully achieved a soft landing on the lunar surface so far. Intuitive Machines' previous lunar lander, Odyssey, became the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the Moon in fifty years when it touched down last year, although the landing did not go perfectly and resulted in the spacecraft ending up on its side. Nevertheless, it managed to collect some scientific data, though its solar panels were poorly positioned, limiting its ability to gather solar power.

      Now, Intuitive Machines will have the chance to try again with its Athena lander. Athena will carry NASA's science and technology demonstrations and is part of NASA's initiative to involve more private companies in space exploration. The CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program is designed to prepare private companies for lunar landings and exploration, enabling NASA to utilize these landers for carrying its payloads prior to sending humans back to the Moon in the coming years. “Among the equipment on Intuitive Machines’ lander, the IM-2 mission will include some of the first demonstrations of resource utilization on the Moon,” NASA stated. “A drill and mass spectrometer will assess the potential presence of volatiles or gases from lunar soil at Mons Mouton, a plateau located at the Moon's South Pole. Additionally, a passive Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) positioned atop the lander will reflect laser light back to any orbiting or incoming spacecraft, providing future vehicles with a permanent reference point on the lunar surface.”

      Another interesting experiment included with the Athena lander is a hopping drone named Grace. The Micro Nova Hopper is designed to transport small scientific payloads and exploit the Moon’s lower gravity by hopping and moving across the lunar landscape, jumping as high as 100 meters, allowing efficient travel over rocky terrain.

      The launch of the Athena lander is slated for a multi-day window starting on Wednesday, February 26, with the exact time yet to be announced. The spacecraft will be launched using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

      Georgina has served as the space writer at Digital Trends for six years, focusing on human space exploration and planetary topics.

      Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost mission launched to the Moon today.

      A lunar lander developed by Firefly Aerospace was launched this morning, carrying a variety of NASA scientific instruments and technology demonstrations. The Blue Ghost mission lifted off via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 1:11 a.m. ET today, Wednesday, January 15.

      The mission aims to perform a soft landing on the Moon. If successful, it will mark just the second soft lunar landing achieved by a private company, following the Intuitive Machines Odyssey landing last year. Both landings are part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, designed to have companies deliver NASA’s scientific payloads to the Moon before the planned human exploration during the Artemis mission.

      This week will witness a historic event as Firefly Aerospace undertakes its inaugural Moon mission with the Blue Ghost project. This mission intends to land a spacecraft on the Moon carrying NASA scientific experiments, as part of NASA's initiative to engage private firms in lunar exploration. Should the landing succeed, it will only be the second soft lunar landing executed by a private entity, following last year's Intuitive Machines Odyssey lander.

      Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost mission is set to launch late at night on Tuesday, January 14, or Wednesday, January 15. Using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the Blue Ghost will take off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA will livestream the launch, allowing viewers to watch via YouTube or through the embedded video below.

      SpaceX has postponed the seventh launch of its Starship megarocket by 48 hours.

      The spaceflight company led by Elon Musk announced the delay on X, but did not provide