Washington: On February 14, US companies are poised to embark on a lunar mission, just weeks after a previous attempt ended in failure with the spacecraft burning up in Earth’s atmosphere, NASA announced on Wednesday.
The upcoming endeavor involves a lander constructed by Houston-based Intuitive Machines affixed atop a SpaceX rocket, in contrast to the previous attempt which utilized a United Launch Alliance rocket and Astrobotics lander.
Despite the change in players, the mission’s objectives remain unchanged: to achieve America’s first gentle landing on the lunar surface since the conclusion of the Apollo era fifty years ago, marking a historic milestone for private industry.
Scheduled for a 12:57 am (0557 GMT) liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, SpaceX aims to deliver Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander to the Moon on February 22, targeting an impact crater near the lunar south pole.
NASA has invested over $100 million in Intuitive Machines to transport its scientific equipment for this mission, as part of a larger initiative to foster a lunar economy and outsource routine cargo missions to private entities.
The payload onboard the “Nova-C” lander includes instruments geared towards enhancing our understanding of the lunar environment, crucial for NASA’s preparations to send human astronauts back to the Moon as part of the Artemis program later in the decade.
In a more artistic touch, the cargo also includes sculptures by renowned artist Jeff Koons.
To date, only five nations have achieved successful soft landings on the Moon. While the Soviet Union led the way, the United States remains the sole nation to have landed humans on the lunar surface. China has accomplished this feat three times in the past decade, followed by India and most recently Japan.
However, Japan’s recent attempt on January 20 saw its lander touchdown on its side, resulting in misaligned solar panels.
Astrobotic’s setback marks the third unsuccessful endeavor by non-government missions, following crash-landings by an Israeli nonprofit and a Japanese company in 2019 and 2023, respectively.
Landing on the Moon presents numerous challenges, including hazardous terrain and the absence of an atmosphere, necessitating precise maneuvering with thrusters for a controlled descent, as parachutes are not viable options.
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