The Intuitive Machines Athena lander appears to have touched down on the moon's surface, but the landing didn't go smoothly.

The commercially and privately constructed Athena spacecraft landed on the moon Thursday, the second such device to do so in a week.

The Houston-based company is poised to land its Athena spacecraft on the moon at 12:30 p.m. ET. The landing site closer to the lunar south pole than any human or vehicle has traveled before.

Intuitive Machines out of Texas is sending a second lunar lander, this time Athena, to the moon, where it will drill for water, ice and other gases.