The Intuitive Machines IM-2 Nova-C lander (Athena) is currently scheduled to land on Mons Mouton on 6 March 2025 (predicated upon a launch before the 2nd of March). The IM-1 Odysseus landing site is indicated at the center top, and the IM-2 intended landing region is shown with a white box in the lower right. The image width is 130 kilometers, and north and nearside are towards the top [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
The Intuitive Machines IM-2 intended landing site (-84.78°, 29.13°E) is 160 kilometers from the south pole and 175 kilometers from the IM-1 landing site. IM-2 is carrying NASA CLPS science and technology demonstration instruments to investigate Mons Mouton.
Mons Mouton is thought to have formed as part of the South Pole—Aitken basin rim and is thus of keen interest to lunar scientists as they attempt to reconstruct the events that shaped the early Moon. The IM-2 intended landing site is in the central portion of one of the Artemis 3 potential landing regions; thus, results from IM-2 could help with Artemis mission planning [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
Future NASA astronauts may visit the Athena lander, similar to the Apollo 12 mission and the Surveyor 3 spacecraft.
The LROC NAC captured this dramatic view of Mons Mouton on 28 May 2024 from an altitude of 88 kilometers. Nearside and north are towards the right, with an image width of 42 kilometers, LROC NAC M1434867405 [NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University].
