The Athena lander, built by Texas-based company Intuitive Machines, could be the second commercial spacecraft to land on the moon this week.

Intuitive Machines sent final commands to its uncrewed Athena spacecraft on Thursday as it closed in on a landing spot near the moon's south pole, the company's second attempt to score a clean touchdown after making a lopsided landing last year.

Athena is "slated to land in Mons Mouton, a lunar plateau near the Moon's South Pole, as part of NASA's CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis campaign to establish a long-term lunar presence," per a NASA statement.

Intuitive Machines is set to land its second spacecraft on the moon on Thursday, roughly a year after the Houston-based company became the first in history to land a commercial lander intact on the lunar surface – albeit on the vehicle’s side.

The destination is Mons Mouton, one of NASA 's potential landing locations for its Artemis astronauts. Intuitive Machines ' Athena moon lander began circling the moon on March 3, just one day after a competitor, Firefly Aerospace, landed on the lunar surface without a hitch.

If all goes to plan, Intuitive Machines’ ‘Athena’ could be the third private lunar lander to successfully make moonfall, following its predecessor Odysseus and competitor Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost. [Courtesy: Intuitive Machines]

It was not until February 22, 2024, that another American-built spacecraft made a soft landing on the Moon. This was the Nova-C Odysseus lander built by Intuitive Machines. It landed, toppled over, but still completed most of its scientific experiments.

The Moon is about to receive yet visitor from Earth this week – and you can watch the whole lunar landing right here. The mission by NASA and private space exploration company Intuitive Machines is set to make a touchdown on the Moon at 12:32 pm EST (5:32 pm UTC)on Thursday,