Commercial company Intuitive Machines is attempting to land a probe near the lunar south pole. If successful, it will be the second time a private company has landed on the moon in less than a week.

Intuitive Machines is aiming for a gentle touchdown of its IM-2 Athena lander packed with rovers, a drone and a NASA moon drill.

A lunar lander built by Intuitive Machines is scheduled to descend to the moon’s surface today, potentially marking the second landing by a private company on the moon in the last week, roughly a year after the aerospace firm completed the first lunar landing by an American spacecraft in decades.

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.

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.

Intuitive Machines announced that its 15-foot-tall robot Athena is expected to land on the moon’s south pole around 12:30 p.m. ET.