Intuitive Machines’ mission to return America to the surface of the moon proved to be a historic success on Thursday. After a nail-biting descent, their spacecraft, Odysseus, touched down at a crater near the moon’s south pole, marking the first time a privately-owned American craft has landed on the lunar surface since the last Apollo mission in 1972.
Live-streamed on NASA TV, viewers watched as the $118 million unmanned six-legged robot lander successfully landed at 6:24pm ET, after slowing down from 6,500 kph (4,000 mph). Cheers and celebrations erupted in the Intuitive Machines’ Houston headquarters as mission director Dr.Tim Crain confirmed the signal had been received: ‘Houston, Odysseus has found its new home.’
The NASA payload onboard the spacecraft will focus on collecting data on space weather, radio astronomy, and other aspects of the lunar environment for future landers and NASA’s planned return of astronauts later in the decade. This mission is a collaboration between NASA and Intuitive Machines, a private company based in Houston, highlighting the power and promise of such partnerships.
Today, for the first time in half a century, America has returned to the Moon 🇺🇸.
On the eighth day of a quarter-million-mile voyage, @Int_Machines aced the landing of a lifetime.
What a feat for IM, @SpaceX & @NASA.
What a triumph for humanity.
Odysseus has taken the Moon. pic.twitter.com/JwtCQmMS2K
— Bill Nelson (@SenBillNelson) February 23, 2024
The landing attempt was not without its challenges, as Intuitive Machines had to make a last-minute switch from its spacecraft’s navigation system, which stopped working, to an experimental laser landing system built by NASA. This added to the tension of the already nerve-wracking landing process, but ultimately proved to be a success.
The lunar journey was not without its obstacles for Intuitive Machines. Just a month ago, another private company, Astrobotic Technology, attempted a similar mission and failed due to a propulsion system leak. However, Intuitive Machines’ team was determined to succeed and finally see America’s return to the moon. The name of their spacecraft, Odysseus, was a nod to Homer’s legendary hero in The Odyssey.
Intuitive Machines’ historic success signals the beginning of a new era of lunar exploration. Currently, only five countries – the US, Russia, China, India, and Japan – have achieved a successful lunar landing. No private business has ever done so. Now, Intuitive Machines’ accomplishment opens up opportunities for future missions to the moon by other private companies.
The success of this mission is significant for NASA’s future plans to send astronauts back to the moon. Odie’s safe landing at a crater near the moon’s south pole will provide valuable data on the lunar environment and help prepare for future human explorations. NASA administrator Bill Nelson congratulated everyone involved and expressed excitement for the future of lunar exploration: ‘Today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA’s commercial partnerships,’ he said. ‘Congratulations to everyone involved in this great and daring quest.’
The Odysseus spacecraft — made by a Houston-based company in cooperation with NASA — has launched the first successful mission to the lunar surface in 50 years. As the lander begins its mission, @GioBenitez has the latest. https://t.co/1v42sf3IYL pic.twitter.com/FRdwfQPT67
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) February 23, 2024
The closure of the Apollo program five decades ago marked the last time the US has returned to the moon’s surface. However, with successful private missions like Intuitive Machines’, NASA’s plans for returning human explorers to the moon seem more attainable than ever.
