NASA backs private lunar lander with drone to explore moon south pole on March 6

Private Lunar Launch: A private firm sent a lunar lander into space on Wednesday. Intuitive Machines, based in Texas, initiated the mission. The lander, called Athena, was launched by NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It hitched a ride on a SpaceX rocket for the journey.

South Pole Target: Athena is heading towards the moon’s south pole region. Its landing site sits 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the pole. A drone on board will explore a nearby crater that stays in constant shadow. NASA watches this mission to study the lunar…