Lunar Trailblazer and IM-2 Will Depart for the Moon in Search of Water

Learn about NASA's Lunar Trailblazer and IM-2, two missions that will soon launch into space to find clues on the presence of water underneath the Moon's surface.

By Jack Knudson
Feb 26, 2025 11:15 PMFeb 26, 2025 11:08 PM
View of space from the moon
(Credit: Dima Zel/Shutterstock)

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The search for water on the moon is about to take a massive leap into new territory as NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer orbiter and the latest Intuitive Machines lunar lander get ready to launch. These missions — riding together on the same SpaceX Falcon9 rocket — both aim to answer key questions about the presence of water on the moon, which has become a top priority in space exploration. 

The launch is scheduled for the evening of the Feb. 26, 2025 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. While the Lunar Trailblazer will continually orbit the moon as it charts sources of water from afar, the Intuitive Machines lander (named “Athena”) will touch down on the moon’s south pole and deploy an instrument to drill through the surface and measure water ice and gases. 

Mapping Water on the Moon

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