In a historic moment for American space exploration, a privately constructed spacecraft has successfully landed on the moon, marking the first American lunar touchdown in over 50 years.
The robotic lander, named Odysseus and built by Intuitive Machines, touched down on the lunar surface on Thursday evening, overcoming a last-minute glitch with its onboard laser instruments.
According to NBC News, "The lander, built by Intuitive Machines, touched down on the lunar surface at around 6:23 p.m. ET, overcoming a late-stage glitch with its onboard laser instruments. The probe is now the first American spacecraft on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
Odysseus, also known as the Nova-C lander, was launched atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and embarked on a 620,000-mile journey to the moon, taking six days to reach the Earth's satellite. The landing time was adjusted multiple times on Thursday as Intuitive Machines corrected the spacecraft's lunar orbit.
The lander targeted a landing site near a crater called Malapert A, located close to the moon's south pole. This region of the moon has long intrigued scientists due to the suspected abundance of water ice in its permanently shadowed craters.
Odysseus carries a combination of commercial cargo and NASA science instruments. The lander is expected to spend about a week collecting data on the moon before the lunar night sets in and the probe loses power.
The Nova-C mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, which was established to support the development of moon landers by private-sector companies. As reported by NBC News, "NASA plans to hire these companies to transport cargo and scientific instruments to the lunar surface as part of the agency's broader ambitions to return astronauts to the moon."
NASA awarded Intuitive Machines $118 million to carry out this successful and historic lunar landing, signifying a significant milestone in the agency's broader ambitions to return astronauts to the moon. This event marks a new chapter in American space exploration, with the private sector playing a crucial role in achieving these ambitious goals.
Login