On Wednesday, the Odysseus lunar lander executed a crucial six-minute and 48-second engine burn, successfully inserting itself into a 57-mile-high orbit around the moon.
This achievement sets the stage for an attempt to land on the lunar surface on Thursday, marking the first such endeavor by a U.S. spacecraft in over 50 years.
The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines, underwent the lunar orbit insertion (LOI) burn on the far side of the moon, slowing down by 1,789 mph to achieve the planned circular orbit.
The successful execution of this maneuver places the Odysseus lander in a favorable position for its historic descent to the lunar surface.
Intuitive Machines reported that Odysseus is now in excellent health and is closer to the moon than the end-to-end distance of a drive across Houston, Space City.
Moon Lander (Credits: KVUE)
Over the next day, while in lunar orbit, flight controllers will analyze flight data and transmit lunar imagery. If all continues to go well, the descent to the lunar surface is planned for Thursday afternoon, targeting a touchdown near the crater known as Malapert A.
Odysseus aims to land approximately 186 miles from the moon’s south pole, with the descent scheduled for 5:30 p.m. EST on Thursday. This mission, which involves a privately-built non-government spacecraft, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS).
The program encourages private industry to develop transportation capabilities for lunar missions, allowing NASA to transport payloads to the moon using commercial providers.
Six NASA payloads, along with six from commercial customers, are on board Odysseus. These payloads include instruments designed to study the lunar environment, test new technology, and carry various items such as miniature moon sculptures by artist Jeff Koons and insulation blankets provided by Columbia Sportswear.
Odysseus is positioned to contribute valuable data and insights to ongoing lunar exploration efforts, supporting NASA’s goal of developing technologies and collecting essential information for upcoming Artemis missions.
The success of this private lunar landing could signify a new era in space exploration, with commercial entities playing a significant role in lunar and planetary exploration.
