President Trump set the U.S. on a path to sending astronauts back to the lunar surface during his first term. Lately he has expressed more interest in Mars.

The mission comes four days after another commercial space company, Firefly Aerospace, successfully landed its spacecraft on the moon.

A private US company will attempt to land a spacecraft close to the Moon's South Pole on Thursday, carrying scientific instruments including a hopping robot and the first lunar mobile communications antenna.

Intuitive Machines, a Houston company aiming to repeat a moon landing it accomplished in 2024, said its spacecraft did not crash, but mission controllers are working to understand its condition. Kenneth Chang Athena didn’t crash. But what did happen to it?

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A privately owned lunar lander touched down near the moon’s south pole Thursday, but as the minutes ticked by, flight controllers could not confirm its condition or whether it was even upright. The last time Intuitive Machines landed a spacecraft on the moon, a year ago, it ended up sideways.

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.

Athena has landed on the moon, but the overall status of the spacecraft remains unclear. The mission’s plans include studies of what lies beneath the lunar surface and a whole lot more

Intuitive Machines aimed for a gentle touchdown of its IM-2 Athena lander packed with rovers, a drone and a NASA moon drill. The company is still assessing the landing.