Hey space enthusiasts! Big news coming your way – there’s a new visitor from Earth headed to the Moon this week, and you can watch the whole lunar landing unfold right before your eyes. NASA is teaming up with Intuitive Machines to make this exciting event happen, with the touchdown scheduled for 12:32 pm EST on Thursday, March 6.

The mission, known as Intuitive Machines 2 (IM-2) landing, will be live-streamed starting at 11:30 am EST, just an hour before the landing. NASA will also be providing live blog updates starting at 11 am EST. The IM-2 mission was launched on February 26 via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If all goes according to plan, the mission will use Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander, Athena, to study lunar soil for valuable resources and search for water ice on the Moon’s surface.

Athena successfully entered the Moon’s orbit on March 3 and is currently getting ready for the landing near Shackleton Crater’s ridge, around 160 kilometers from the lunar south pole. This area is unique because the Sun stays low on the horizon but never fully sets, similar to Earth’s midnight Sun.

Along with the Athena lander, the mission will also deploy a Micro Nova Hopper named Grace to explore the local area. On March 14, Athena will witness a lunar eclipse from the Moon, a rare event where the Sun, Earth, and Moon align with Earth in between. While observers on Earth will see the Moon darken during the eclipse, Athena will see the Sun move across the horizon before reappearing.

One of the most exciting parts of the IM-2 mission is the introduction of a 4G network for communication and data transmission between vehicles on the Moon. This Nokia Lunar Surface Communication System (LSCS) will be the first cellular network on the Moon, potentially revolutionizing communication for future missions to the Moon and Mars.

With cutting-edge technology, groundbreaking exploration, and even a lunar eclipse in the mix, the IM-2 mission is a significant step forward in private space travel. Don’t miss out on this incredible event!

It’s an exciting time for space exploration right now. Blue Ghost, a spacecraft funded by NASA and operated by Firefly Aerospace, recently landed on the Moon. Additionally, AstroForge has launched its new spacecraft, Odin, with the goal of being the first private company to reach deep space. The world of space exploration is definitely buzzing with excitement!