Intuitive Machines has achieved a historic feat by successfully landing its Odysseus robotic spacecraft near the Moon’s South Pole. This is the first company to land on the lunar surface and the first American landing in almost 50 years.
Intuitive Machines' IM-1 lander, also called Odysseus or "Odie," is on the lunar surface after experiencing unexpected issues hours prior to landing. https://t.co/nBJOUJPWZC pic.twitter.com/Rta9KeRt6d
— CNN (@CNN) February 23, 2024
Odysseus, mounted on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, was launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The robot lander sailed into the deepest parts of space and landed on the moon’s surface at 6:23 pm on Thursday evening.
Odysseus, named after Homer’s Greek hero The Odyssey, landed in the Malapert A crater at the Moon’s south pole. This landing site was not chosen at random, as the area is of scientific interest for its potential to host future human exploration.
NASA has invested $118 million in this historic mission. The instruments will collect valuable data on the Moon’s dust behavior, its terrain and many other areas, and this harvest could help future missions.
This mission is a testament to the capabilities and potential of Intuitive Machines, but it also marks a new stage in partnerships between public and private space agencies. NASA, as Odysseus’ main customer, is delighted with this milestone and looks forward to the many scientific benefits the mission should bring.
In January of this year, Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic failed in its attempt to land an automated spacecraft on the Moon. This failure highlighted the risks and complexities of lunar exploration, despite past successes.
The previous failure makes Intuitive Machines’ success all the more impressive.
Intuitive’s successful soft landing of Odysseus is a key moment in the history of space exploration. It demonstrates a growing commitment to lunar exploration and innovative collaborations that could overcome the obstacles to deep space travel!
