“As the first private entity to launch a spacecraft to the Moon , an American company has made history.
Houston-based Intuitive Machines’ Odyssey robot has landed near the southern pole of the moon.
After a few minutes, controllers finally received a signal indicating that the spacecraft was down.
Flight director Tim Crane announced, “We are communicating from the surface of the Moon landing, and we can confirm it without any doubt.”
Upon hearing this news, employees of the company applauded and celebrated joyfully.
The United States has been on the moon for fifty years, but Intuitive Machines has brought them back. The last Apollo mission in 1972 was the only example where American gear was gradually seen deposited on the lunar surface.
NASA Moon landing immediately congratulated Intuitive Machines for the mission they named “Success,” securing a place on Odyssey for six scientific instruments. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson was eager to endorse the akeover.
He said, “America has returned to the Moon landing.” “A commercial firm, an American venture, has initiated a campaign there for the first time in human history and led it. And today is a day that demonstrates the power and capability of NASA’s commercial partnerships.”
Japan landed on the moon and began working with “toy poodles.”
Odyssey’s task was to stop “spacecraft sandblasting.”
Before the descent even began, controllers had to deal with a technical issue that nearly aborted the mission.
The range lasers on Odyssey were malfunctioning, making it impossible to determine the altitude and velocity of the spacecraft.
Luckily, NASA had several experimental lasers on board, and technicians succeeded in integrating them into the navigation system.
Odyssey touched down at GMT 23:23. Initially, the robot sent no signal. As minutes passed, a communication link was finally established, albeit weak, causing much anxiety.
Questions arose about the lander’s status. But within a few hours, Intuitive Machines reported that Odyssey was returning data, including images, and standing upright.
The desired landing site, Malapert Mountain, was near a cratered area near the lunar south pole, which is 5 kilometers high. It is the southernmost point on the moon that any spacecraft has ever visited.
As part of the Artemis program, NASA has placed it on a shortlist of locations to send astronauts by the end of the decade.
In this area, there are some deep pits that are always in shadow and never receive sunlight. Scientists believe that water may be trapped inside these pits.
The last person on the moon was an Apollo astronaut.
Americast: Hello Houston! Neil Degrasse Tyson.
According to Lori Glaze, director of planetary science at NASA Moon landing, “Ice is truly crucial because if we can utilize ice on the moon’s surface, we won’t need to bring as much with us.”
We can convert ice into drinkable water and extract hydrogen and oxygen for fuel and astronaut respiration. Thus, it’s very beneficial for human exploration.”
NASA’s payloads on Odyssey consist of six science and technology demonstrations.
It will be important to investigate how lunar dust behaves, as Apollo astronauts found it to be a significant nuisance damaging their equipment and hindering operations.
Agency scientists are trying to learn more about how the landing craft kicks up dust, which hangs above the surface just before descending.
Among the six commercial payloads is a camera system from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, intended to be launched from Odyssey when it was 30 meters above the lunar surface.”
