It was a success. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander landed near the Moon's south pole. NASA finally returned to the Moon more than 50 years after the end of the Apollo program.
The hexagonal-shaped spacecraft landed autonomously at 23:23 UTC on February 22. It did so in the Malapert A impact crater, 24 kilometers in diameter. It is about 300 kilometers from the south pole of the Moon. The descent occurred from an orbit 92 kilometers from the Moon. Confirmation of the landing did not reach mission control until 13 minutes later.
Second try
Intuitive Machines is the Houston-based company hired by NASA to deliver scientific payload to the Moon. Its module lifted off on February 15 on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. He traveled a million kilometers. The module is planned to operate on the surface for one lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 Earth days.
NASA finally returned to the Moon after a failed attempt a few weeks ago. On January 8, Astrobotic's Peregrine lander was launched. But the ship's loss of fuel prevented it from reaching its destination.
Both missions are part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The agency contracts with private companies to build and launch the ships.
Analysis instruments
The module includes a NASA instrument, the Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator. It integrates navigation and communication functionality. Allows precise geolocation and navigation observations for surface personnel. Confirms positions on the Moon in relation to other spacecraft, ground stations or moving rovers. The checkout helps prepare for landing on the Moon. The navigation demonstrator aims to collect this data for the duration of the surface operations phase of the mission.
In total, the spacecraft carries six NASA payloads. They will study the interactions between space weather and the lunar surface, and radio astronomy.
