China News Service, Houston, February 15th. On the 15th local time, the lunar lander "Odysseus" developed by the American company "Intuition Machines" was launched from Florida.
The New York Times reported that at 1:05 on the 15th, the "Odysseus" lunar lander was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Less than an hour later, Intuitive Machines reported that Odysseus separated from the rocket and successfully launched. The company later said the spacecraft was able to maintain the correct orientation and maintain contact with the company's mission control center.
The "Odysseus" lander is a hexagonal cylinder, 4 meters high and 1.57 meters wide, with 6 landing legs. It carries a variety of scientific instruments and commercial payloads from the United States Space Administration (NASA) and is fully loaded with propellant. The lower weight is about 1900 kg. NASA paid Intuitive Machines $118 million for the mission. According to NASA's official website, the goals of this mission include studying the interaction between the lander's engine plume and the lunar surface, radio astronomy, the interaction between space weather and the lunar surface, the lander's precise landing technology, and communication and navigation capabilities.
According to NBC reports, the launch was originally scheduled for the 14th, but the rocket's methane fuel failed and the launch was suspended. "Odysseus" plans to land in a crater near the moon's south pole on the 22nd.
On January 8, the "Peregrine" lunar lander of the American private company Aerospace Robotics was launched into space. The company said in a statement the next day that due to propellant leakage, the "Peregrine Falcon" had no chance of soft landing on the moon.
Both "Odysseus" and "Peregrine" are part of NASA's "Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program," which aims to develop lunar landers through private companies to help NASA deliver scientific instruments and other items to the lunar surface.
At the same time, the "Commercial Lunar Payload Service Plan" is part of NASA's "Artemis" manned lunar landing plan. "Artemis" is the new moon landing plan announced by the US government in 2019. On January 9, NASA announced the latest progress adjustments to the manned lunar landing plan, including postponing the "Artemis 2" manned lunar flight and the "Artemis 3" manned lunar landing mission. . (over)