“Odysseus Makes History: American Lunar Lander Touches Down After 52 Years”
In a significant milestone, Americans have returned to the moon for the first time in over five decades, marking a historic moment in space exploration. The uncrewed Odysseus spacecraft, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket a week ago, successfully landed on the lunar surface on Thursday, becoming the first commercial spacecraft to achieve this feat.
Operated by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, the Odysseus lunar lander is a 14-foot-tall hexagonal cylinder with six legs. Named after the legendary Greek hero of Homer’s “The Odyssey,” the lander is designed to carry cargo for NASA and other private customers. The successful landing makes Odysseus the first American-built spacecraft to touch down on the moon since NASA’s final Apollo mission in 1972.
Shortly after the landing at 5:23 p.m. CST, Stephen Altemus, president and CEO of Intuitive Machines, announced, “Houston, Odysseus has found its new home,” marking a historic moment for the space company and the broader space exploration community.
Despite some communication challenges and a nail-biting wait for confirmation, the Intuitive Machines team celebrated the successful landing. Altemus assured, “I know this was a nail-biter, but we are on the surface and we are transmitting. Welcome to the moon.”
The Odysseus lander began its journey by hitching a ride aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The mission, known as IM-1, is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS), which aims to involve private companies in lunar exploration.
While Intuitive Machines faced temporary communication delays and other challenges during the mission, none were critical enough to jeopardize the success of the lunar landing. The company successfully overcame these hurdles, positioning Odysseus to enter lunar orbit and land near the moon’s south polar region.
NASA, as the primary customer for the Odysseus mission, paid Intuitive Machines $118 million to transport scientific payloads to the lunar surface. These payloads will collect valuable data, contributing to NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the lunar surface for the first time in 52 years.
The success of the Odysseus mission paves the way for NASA to collaborate with more commercial entities on future space endeavors. As NASA regains momentum for its Artemis program in the coming years, the agency plans to establish a permanent human presence on and around the moon, laying the groundwork for future missions to Mars.