The first US moon landing in decades validates NASA’s commercial goals

Second commercial lunar landing mission attempt shortly after 1 a.m. ET on February 15th Launched onboard SpaceX Falcon 9. The Nova-C lander is also known as Odysseus. successfully landed near the moon’s south pole on Thursday.

of intuitive machine IM-1 This is the second mission. Commercial monthly payload service A program initiative launched by NASA to encourage commercial lunar landing missions as part of the Artemis program.Occurs about 1 month after failure astrobotic Hayabusa The mission did not land on the moon, instead burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Nova-C’s voyage to the moon took place with only a few minor hiccups. The lander tested a methane/oxygen engine in space for the first time. The “trial run” combustion was of great importance, since the same engine was to be used to carry out the lunar landing.

The spaceship is back too image of the earth It had been left behind. One is an image of the entire Earth. “Blue Marble” Returned by Apollo 17 more than 50 years ago, this photo evoked awe and wonder.

Nova-C entered lunar orbit on Wednesday morning. Flight controllers spent the next day analyzing flight data and taking images of the lunar surface.

Before Nova-C began landing, the laser rangefinder used to measure the spacecraft’s altitude and speed failed. Intuitive Machines flight controllers have uploaded a software patch that switches the lander to a navigation Doppler lidar provided by NASA. This experimental device guided Nova-C to a soft landing on the lunar surface.

Minutes later, Intuitive Machines’ flight controllers received a faint signal from the Lunar Module Nova-C, confirming it had landed on the moon late Thursday afternoon.

2 hours later The company announced, “After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers confirmed that Odysseus was upright and beginning to transmit data. We are currently working on downlinking the first images from the lunar surface. I’m here.”

Nova-C includes several payloads provided by NASA and several commercial customers.

NASA payload includes:

Private payload includes:

• tiger eye 1created by students at Louisiana State University to measure the radiation environment on the lunar surface.
• ILO-Xan astronomical camera designed to test the concept of a lunar observatory
• Ann eagle cam The robot, created by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, will be released from Nova-C and watch the lunar module descend.
• Luna Prizea data center prototype built by the Galactic Legacy Institute
• moon phasea work of art by Jeff Koons

The Nova-C lander itself is heat reflective material It was developed by Columbia Sportswear and is used to make jackets that reflect body heat.

Nova-C’s successful landing represents the first success of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services Program’s approach to lunar exploration. Coming on the heels of the Astrobotic Peregrine failure, Intuitive Machines’ work proves that a commercial approach to returning to the moon is working.

Nova-C was the first commercial moon landing in history. This was also the first American moon landing since Apollo 17 in 1972. It occurred more than six years after the official launch of the Artemis program and just under six years after the announcement of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

Still, Intuitive Machines Nova-C is just the beginning of a long process that will culminate in the first human astronauts to walk on the moon in nearly 55 years, currently scheduled for late 2026. A lot needs to happen before the next moonwalker appears. Not to mention a permanent lunar base will appear on the lunar surface. But Nova-C’s landing proved that even in a world full of deceit and self-inflicted horror, great things are still possible.

Meanwhile, Nova-C’s second flight, IM-2, is scheduled by the fourth quarter of 2024.

Mark R. Whittington, who writes frequently about space policy, writes,Why is it so difficult to return to the moon?” Similarly “To the moon, Mars and beyond”And recently,”Why will America return to the moon?” He blogs at: Karma John’s Corner.