Private US moon lander launched half century after last Apollo lunar mission
A moon lander built by Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines was launched from Florida early on Thursday on a mission to conduct the first U.S. lunar touchdown in more than a half century and the first by a privately owned spacecraft.
Intuitive Machines Launches Nova-C Lander
A moon lander built by Houston-based aerospace company Intuitive Machines has been successfully launched from Florida. This mission marks the first U.S. lunar touchdown in over 50 years and is also the first by a privately owned spacecraft. The lander, called Nova-C and dubbed Odysseus, lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket flown by Elon Musk's SpaceX.
The launch was captured on a live NASA-SpaceX online video feed, showing the rocket roaring off the launch pad and disappearing into the dark sky over Florida's Atlantic coast. About 48 minutes after launch, the lander was released from Falcon 9's upper stage and began its voyage towards the moon.
NASA Payloads and Mission Plans
While Intuitive Machines is leading the mission, the IM-1 flight is carrying six NASA payloads. These instruments are designed to gather data about the lunar environment and will contribute to NASA's planned return of astronauts to the moon later this decade. The successful landing of the Nova-C lander would represent the first controlled descent by a U.S. spacecraft since the final Apollo mission in 1972, as well as the first by a private company.
This mission is also part of NASA's Artemis moon program, which aims to return astronauts to the lunar surface before China's crewed spacecraft lands there. NASA has opted for a strategy of using spacecraft built and owned by private companies, such as Intuitive Machines, to reduce costs for the Artemis missions.
Challenges and Competition in Lunar Landings
The launch of the IM-1 mission comes just a month after another private firm, Astrobotic Technology, experienced a propulsion system leak on its way to the moon. This marked the third failed private lunar landing, following attempts by companies from Israel and Japan. These incidents highlight the risks associated with NASA relying heavily on the commercial sector for its spaceflight goals.
Small landers like the Nova-C are expected to arrive at the moon before crewed spacecraft, allowing them to survey the lunar landscape and collect data. In the future, Intuitive Machines has planned additional missions, including landings at the lunar south pole and the deployment of small rovers.
