With two commercial moon landers already on their way, Houston-based Intuitive Machines launched its second robotic lander atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday, the centerpiece of a multi-element NASA-sponsored mission to help pave the way for human expeditions.

A private company is launching another lunar lander toward the moon. Intuitive Machines’ lander blasted off on Wednesday aboard SpaceX from Florida.

If all goes according to plan, the Athena lander will touch down near the moon's south pole on or around March 6.