Odysseus becomes first private spacecraft to land on the Moon

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A lunar lander constructed by a US spaceflight firm has turn into the first privately owned spacecraft to land on the Moon.

Intuitive Machines’s Nova-C Odysseus lander touched down on the Moon’s south pole area at 23.23pm UK time on Thursday.

The second additionally marked the first US Moon touchdown since the ultimate mission of the Apollo programme, Apollo 17, greater than 50 years in the past.

The information was confirmed by Intuitive Machine’s chief government Steve Altemus, who stated: “I know this was a nail biter but we are on the on the surface and we are transmitting.

“Welcome to the Moon.”

Shortly after touchdown, Intuitive Machines stated on X, previously often known as Twitter, “flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data,” after troubleshooting communications due to the weak sign from the Moon.

“Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface,” Intuitive Machines added.

The spacecraft blasted off final week from Cape Canaveral in Florida on prime of a Falcon 9 rocket made by Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX.

It embarked on a week-long journey, travelling greater than 620,000 miles.

Nasa administrator Bill Nelson described the mission as a “triumph” and a “giant leap forward for all of humanity”.

He stated: “Today, for the first time in more than a half-century, the US has returned to the Moon.

“Today, for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company – an American company – launched and led the voyage up there.

“And today is a day that shows the power and promise on Nasa’s commercial partnerships.

“Congratulations to everyone involved in this great and daring quest at Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, and right here at Nasa.

“What a triumph – Odysseus has taken the Moon.

“This feat is a giant leap forward for all of humanity. Stay tuned.”

But it wasn’t all plain crusing.

Intuitive Machines stated the authentic laser instrument it deliberate to rely on for steerage throughout descent stopped working an hour earlier than touchdown.

It meant the spacecraft had to do an additional orbit so engineers may activate a back-up instrument supplied by Nasa.

The workforce is now working to collect extra data on the lander to affirm its standing and whether or not it might obtain its £93m mission.

Odysseus is a hexagonal cylinder about 13ft (4m) tall and 5ft (1.57m) vast – about the dimension of a British telephone field – and weighs 1,488lb (675kg).

It is a part of Nasa’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which goals to contain business corporations in the exploration of the Moon.

The spacecraft landed on Malapert A, a crater 186 miles from the Moon’s south pole.

The pole is believed to include water ice, which might be a precious useful resource for future human exploration.

Odysseus is anticipated to function for roughly every week earlier than the lunar night time units on the south pole.

On board are 12 payloads, together with a Nasa instrument often known as Scalpss (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies), a four-camera system which goals to seize Odysseus’s descent to the lunar floor.

The lander is carrying a set of 125 tiny sculptures known as Moon Phases, created by US artist Jeff Koons.

It is insulated with a light-weight cloth, a shimmery gold materials that usually traces the inside ski jackets, made by US firm Columbia Sportswear.

It comes six weeks after one other US spacecraft, Peregrine, failed to contact down after a gas leak.

Until now, managed Moon landings have solely been carried out by authorities companies, together with the US, Soviet Union, China, India and Japan.

A second Intuitive Machines mission is slated to elevate off subsequent month, with the purpose to drill for sources at the Moon’s south pole.