50 years after Apollo 17, the United States is preparing to land on the Moon again this Thursday, February 22, 2024 thanks to a private mission ordered by NASA. This mission like no other could make history.
The Texan company Intuitive Machines, specializing in aerospace, is preparing to see its probe land Odysseus on the surface of the Moon This Thursday February 22 at 11:30 p.m. (Paris time). The 675-kilogram craft was launched from the space center Kennedy aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Even though many missions have successfully landed on the Moon for decades, the operation remains a delicate affair. The latest success goes to Japan, which achieved a remarkable moon landing last January on our natural satellite thanks to its precision lander SLIM.
This time, the challenge of the mission is completely different. For the first time in the history of lunar conquest, we should witness the moon landing of a private mission. Indeed, this is part of the CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program of the NASA which consists of using companies to transport equipment and scientific materials to the surface of the Moon in order to reduce transport costs. If the landing is a success, it will be the first private mission to land on the Moon after the failures of the Hakuto-R missions in April 2023 and Peregrine last January. So far, everything is going smoothly and Odysseus entered orbit around the Moon on February 21. The probe even transmitted a selfie taken during its trip into space.
On board, the lander carries scientific instruments as well as experimental technologies but also commercial loads on behalf of several clients. Among the scientific tools, we find in particular descent and landing sensors so that the machine lands gently on the lunar surface as well as a camera system. Odysseus also has an innovative gauge allowing you to know the quantity of fuel remaining. Indeed, in space, it is very difficult to evaluate the volume of liquid present in a tank in the absence of gravity. The liquid does not stay at the bottom of the tank and collects on the edges, making it impossible to use a conventional gauge. All this equipment contributes to improving our ability to place machines on the Moon for future manned missions.
If successful, this landing would become historic since it would mark the return of the Americans who have not landed on the Moon since 1972 during the Apollo 17 manned mission. To follow this event live, go to the Youtube channel from NASA. The company Intuitive Machines also offers to follow the event on its account (e.g. Twitter).