For over 50 years, the US hasn’t launched any expeditions or landings on the Moon. Much of the technology that they used beforehand was simply retired, due to the fact that going to the Moon is considered pointless. However, on February 22, 2024, the Odysseus spacecraft reached the Moon.
The Odysseus had originally been launched out of orbit on February 15th, but it took around 7 days for the Odysseus to finally reach the Moon. Finally, on the 22nd, the spacecraft landed at 6:11 pm on the south pole of the Moon. The Odysseus was the first spacecraft in history to land on the south pole of the Moon. Venturing to the moon is not an easy task. Out of all of the nations in the world, only the United States, Russia, Japan, China, and India have been able to place launchers on the moon. Many other countries have tried and failed, but the remarkable Odysseus spacecraft has achieved what few others have dared: reaching the lunar surface.
The Odysseus spacecraft landed in the Malapert A crater and began to operate instruments with the help of solar panels. The Odysseus was armed with 6 NASA science instruments, and several miscellaneous items, including 125 miniature replicas of artist Jeff Koons’ moon sculptures.
Something very important to note is that Odysseus was made with the lowest-cost model in mind. Stephen Altemus, the president and CEO of Intuitive Machines, insisted on adopting a tighter financial plan and said that a lower budget shuttle and landing is “the only way to go.” The choice to run the mission on a smaller budget may be one of the main reasons behind the success of Odysseus. Before, NASA would simply build their spacecraft and would take whatever funds necessary to ensure its safety. However, Intuitive Machines has adopted a more carefree approach, and believes in staying on a budget at all costs, even if it leads to the Odysseus crashing and failing at its mission.
This venture to the Moon is considered a large stepping stone in the history of space exploration, mainly because it was a joint effort conducted by NASA, SpaceX, and a Houston-based company called Intuitive Machines. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said the following on the subject; “For the first time in more than half a century, America returned to the Moon. Congratulations to Intuitive Machines for placing the lunar lander Odysseus carrying NASA scientific instruments to a place no person or machine has gone before, the lunar South Pole. This feat from Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, and NASA demonstrates the promise of American leadership in space and the power of commercial partnerships under NASA’s CLPS initiative. Further, this success opens the door for new voyages under Artemis to send astronauts to the Moon, then onward to Mars.” Cooperation is a big part of landing on the moon. NASA would originally try to compete with other companies, but now is trying to cooperate with them, and it has shown great success. Hopefully, there will be many more moon landings to come.
