A historic achievement: the first privately built spacecraft, by Intuitive Machines, lands on the moon, marking a significant moment in space exploration
Created by
Pradeep
Published on
February 23, 2024
Image source: Google / DALLE
The Nova-C lander, dubbed Odysseus, successfully landed on the lunar surface at 6:23 p.m. ET, overcoming a late-stage technical glitch involving its laser instruments
Image source: Google / DALLE
Celebrations erupted at mission control with Intuitive Machines' CTO announcing, "Houston, Odysseus has found its new home," signifying the first American moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972
The final moments before landing were tense, with mission control losing contact with Odysseus, a common occurrence during lunar landings, heightening the anticipation
Initial uncertainties about the lander's status were resolved two hours post-landing, confirming Odysseus was upright and transmitting data back to Earth
CEO of Intuitive Machines lauded the team's effort, emphasizing the successful transmission of data and welcoming the new lunar resident
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson hailed the landing as a "triumph" and a "giant leap forward for all of humanity," underscoring the mission's significance
Odysseus's journey to the moon began with a launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, traversing over 620,000 miles in six days to reach its destination
Targeting a landing near Malapert A crater, close to the moon's south pole, the mission aims to explore areas thought to contain water ice, vital for future lunar exploration
The mission, carrying both commercial and NASA science instruments, is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, setting the stage for future manned missions and lunar exploration