The Odysseus lunar lander successfully landed on the moon's surface. This is the first American lunar landing since 1972 and the first successful commercial lunar landing ever.
An attempt using another commercial spacecraft failed after its launch last month. The spacecraft eventually plunged into Earth's atmosphere.
The Odysseus spacecraft landed shortly after midnight (Dutch time) near the moon's south pole, according to the American company Intuitive Machines, about two hours after landing. This is the first American landing on the moon in more than half a century.
The spacecraft is more than 4 meters high and weighs about 675 kilograms. The launch took place last week from Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida.
It was not initially clear whether the plane had survived the landing. The Aviation Administration announced that it was on the moon's surface, but initially nothing was reported about the condition of the lander.
The good news did not arrive until two hours later. “Odysseus stands upright and begins transmitting data,” a statement from Intuitive Machines said. “Downloading the first images of the lunar surface.”
A weak signal may make Odysseus's task more difficult
Incoming signals will be weak. According to Thomas Zurbuchen, former chief science officer at NASA, this could indicate that the spacecraft landed next to a crater wall or something else obstructing the antenna. “Sometimes it's just one rock, or a big rock, that gets in the way,” he told the news agency. Reuters.
A weak signal could make Odysseus' main task more difficult. This means using the equipment on board for scientific purposes.
Odysseus spends about a week investigating the effect of charged particles from the Sun on the surface of the Moon. People traveling to the Moon are exposed to these particles. Hence there is hardly any protection from the magnetic field as there is on Earth. The United States also wants to try more precise landings.
The Americans also want to take people to the moon again
The United States wants to take people to the moon and back in the coming years. The polar crater where the probe was supposed to land is a possible destination.
Space companies could help build bases on the Moon. NASA has created a program for this purpose: Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Through this program, companies can receive millions of euros to develop and build lunar devices.
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