A potentially historic private moon mission is underway.
Odysseus, a robotic lunar lander built by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, lifted off early this morning (Feb. 15) atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
If all goes according to plan, Odysseus will land near the moon's south pole on February 22, becoming the first private spacecraft ever to land on the moon. Success would also be of great significance to the United States, which has not been to the moon's surface since NASA's Apollo 17 mission more than half a century ago.
"It's a deeply humbling moment for all of us at Intuitive Machines," said Trent Martin, the company's vice president of space systems, during a press conference ahead of the launch on Tuesday (Feb. 13).
"The opportunity to return the United States to the moon for the first time since 1972 requires a hunger to explore, and that is at the core of everyone at Intuitive Machines," he added.
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A smooth launch (and rocket landing)
The Falcon 9 took off from KSC's Pad 39A today at 1:05 a.m. EST (0605 GMT). About 7.5 minutes later, the rocket's first stage returned to Earth for a vertical landing at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is adjacent to the NASA site.
According to a SpaceX mission description, it was the 18th launch and landing for this particular booster. That's just one shy of the company's reuse record, which it set last December.
The Falcon 9's upper stage, meanwhile, continued to take to the skies, eventually delivering Odysseus into lunar orbit as planned about 48.5 minutes after launch.
The 675-kilogram lander - which is about the size of a British telephone booth (or the TARDIS craft in "Dr. Who," if you're a sci-fi fan) - made its first contact with the mission just minutes later under check.
Odysseus will soon begin making his way to lunar orbit, a journey that will take six days. Odysseus will then prepare for his historic landing attempt, which will take place at Malapert A, a small crater about 300 kilometers from the moon's south pole.
NASA will be watching the landing attempt with particular interest, as the space agency has a lot to do with Odysseus and his current mission, known as IM-1.
Paving the way for lunar missions by Artemis astronauts
NASA booked a ride with IM-1 through its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to leverage the capabilities of private U.S. robotic landers to get agency scientific equipment to the moon more cost-effectively.
These instruments are designed to collect data that will benefit NASA's Artemis program, which aims to establish a manned base near the moon's south pole by the end of the 2020s. This region is believed to be rich in water ice, which could support Artemis astronauts on the surface and could also be processed into rocket fuel, allowing crews to refuel spacecraft away from Earth.
Odysseus carries six NASA instruments aboard IM-1, brought on board through a $118 million NASA contract. It cost the agency another $11 million to develop and build the science hardware, NASA officials said.
Here's a quick overview of NASA's science instruments:
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ROLSES (Radio Observations of the Lunar Surface Photoelectron Sheath) will characterize the electron plasma and radio environments near IM-1's landing site;
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LRA (Laser Retro-Reflector Array), a small set of reflectors, will serve as a guide to help future landers make precise landings on the moon;
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NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precise Velocity and Range Sensing) will use LIDAR (light detection and range) technology to collect super-accurate data during Odysseus' descent and landing;
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SCALPSS (Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies) will study how Odysseus's exhaust plume interacts with lunar dirt and rocks during landing, collecting data that could inform future Artemis lander designs;
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LN-1 (Lunar Node 1 Navigation Demonstrator), a small radio navigation beacon, will demonstrate autonomous spacecraft positioning technology, which could aid future lunar rovers and landers and eventually become part of a larger, GPS-like system on and around the moon;
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RFMG (Radio Frequency Mass Gauge statement) will use radio waves to measure how much fuel is left in Odysseus' tank - something that is difficult to do in a microgravity environment.
Odysseus also carries six commercial loads for a variety of customers, including Columbia Sportswear, which will test its "Omni-Heat Infinity" insulation material on IM-1.
Other private cargoes include a series of sculptures by artist Jeff Koons and a "secure lunar repository," which aims to help protect all of human knowledge should something terrible happen here on Earth.
EagleCam, built by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, also flies on IM-1. This camera system will be deployed from Odysseus as it approaches the moon's surface and attempts to take pictures of the lander's landing.
You can learn more about all IM-1 payloads through the Intuitive Machines press kit, found here.
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A 2nd attempt at a moon 1st
IM-1 is not the first CLPS attempt to launch to the moon. Astrobotic's Peregrine lander did this on January 8, taking off on the debut mission of United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan Centaur rocket.
That launch went well, but Peregrine suffered a crippling fuel leak shortly after deploying from the rocket's upper stage. After quite a long story, the lunar lander finally caused a controlled destruction in the Earth's atmosphere on January 18.
As the Peregrine example shows, accomplishing a lunar mission remains a tall order, especially for a private spacecraft. So there is certainly no guarantee that Odysseus will succeed, especially this early in the game. NASA has enlisted Intuitive Machines for two additional lunar missions after this one, and the agency plans to power future commercial landers as well.
"We've always viewed these first CLPS deliveries as a kind of learning experience, where we're all going to learn and respond to how they go," Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for Exploration, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, said during Tuesday's prelaunch telecon.
"We are learning from every effort - not just the US one, but we are also looking at the efforts of some of our allies and some of our competitors," he added.
Editor's Note: This story was updated at 2:15 a.m. ET on Feb. 15 with news of the successful spacecraft deployment.
