Odysseus will be the first private spacecraft in history to land on Earth’s satellite.
Elon Musk’s company SpaceX sent the Odysseus lander to the Moon on Thursday, February 15. It was built by a private American company, Intuitive Machines. Space.com reported it.
The launch of the Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Odysseus on board was carried out from the Cape Canaveral Space Center (Florida).
The device is scheduled to land on the lunar south pole on February 22. Odysseus will be the first private spacecraft in history to land on Earth’s satellite.
The total weight of the lander is 675 kg. There are 12 cargo units aboard the Odysseus. Six of them, including the laser reflector and radio instruments, belong to NASA. The rest is owned by various private customers.
IM-1 liftoff! pic.twitter.com/Knl3Y1sGo2
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 15, 2024
The United States has not landed on the lunar surface since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission more than half a century ago.
We remind you that on January 19, the Japanese landing module SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) landed on the Moon. Japan became the fifth country in the world to land on the surface of the Moon after USSR, USA, China and India.
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Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.