Intuitive Machines, an innovator in space exploration, is on the cusp of etching its name in the annals of space history. On Thursday, the company’s Odysseus lunar lander is slated to alight near the frigid expanse of the moon’s south pole, potentially marking the first success of its kind by a private entity.
This landmark effort could see Odysseus become the maiden private vessel to accomplish a soft lunar landing, a milestone not realized by an American spacecraft since the last NASA Apollo 17 mission over five decades ago in 1972. The stakes are high for this mission, which not only boasts a substantial payload of NASA scientific experiments under a $118 million contract but also carries the aspirations of various commercial stakeholders.
The landing schedule is finely tuned, with operations pinpointing 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) for the lander’s anticipated lunar touchdown. Nonetheless, this timeline rests upon a constellation of critical elements, most notably the precise initiation of Odysseus’s engine burn as it extricates from lunar orbit to commence the descent.
Orbiting at approximately 57 miles (92 kilometers) in a near-perfect circle, the spacecraft is primed for its final approach. A calculated Descent Orbit Insertion maneuver, occurring roughly an hour before the landing sequence starts, is expected to adjust Odysseus’s orbit to a perigee of 6 miles (10 kilometers), ideally suspending it directly above the designated landing zone.
The descent phase features Odysseus deploying its Terrain Relative Navigation system armed with cameras and laser-based sensors to diligently survey the impending landing surface. In a manner reminiscent of the iconic Apollo programs, the spacecraft will engage its throttle control to decelerate by roughly 1,800 meters per second (4,000 miles per hour), Intuitive Machines detailed.
Space enthusiasts and the global public can witness this extraordinary feat through NASA’s live broadcast starting at 4:00 p.m. EST (2100 GMT). The coverage, accessible via NASA TV, NASA+ streaming services, the NASA app, and updates on NASA’s blog, will encapsulate the mission from its final orbital phase through the historic touchdown.
In tandem, Intuitive Machines will provide its own live commentary of the momentous event through its primary IM-1 mission portal, anticipated to mirror NASA’s coverage.
The optimistically eyed lunar landing positions Intuitive Machines to potentially secure its foothold as a trailblazer in the ever-expanding cosmic arena of private space exploration.
