US private lander launches to the Moon

The Odysseus lander, or Odie, lifted off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 1:05 p.m. today (Hanoi time).

Odysseus, built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, will land near the lunar south pole on February 22, becoming the first private spacecraft to successfully land on the celestial body, a feat that would be significant for the United States, which has not returned to the lunar surface since NASA’s Apollo 17 mission more than half a century ago.

About 7.5 minutes after launch, the Falcon 9 first stage returned to Earth for a vertical landing at Cape Canaveral Space Station, Florida. This was the 18th launch and landing of this reusable rocket stage.

The lander weighs 675 kg and is about the size of a British telephone booth. It will now head towards lunar orbit, a journey that is expected to take about a week. After that, Odysseus will prepare for its historic landing attempt. It is scheduled to touch down in Malapert A, a small crater about 300 km from the lunar south pole.

NASA will be closely monitoring the landing because Odysseus carries a lot of the agency's equipment. NASA "booked" aboard the spacecraft through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, which aims to leverage the capabilities of private US landers to deliver scientific equipment to the Moon in a more cost-effective way.

The devices are designed to collect data to support NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to establish an astronaut base near the lunar south pole by the late 2020s. The region is thought to contain large amounts of water ice, which could support astronauts on the lunar surface. The water ice could also be used to produce propellant, allowing spacecraft to refuel after they have left Earth.

Odysseus carries six NASA instruments, including a range of scientific instruments designed to test new technologies or assess the lunar environment, such as studying the lunar soil during the landing. The spacecraft also carries a variety of memorabilia, including sculptures depicting the phases of the moon, and technology from private companies, including Columbia Sportswear, which developed insulation for the lander.

If all goes according to plan, Odysseus will spend seven days operating on the Moon. But as the landing site moves into Earth's shadow, the spacecraft will be put into sleep mode during the lunar night.

Thu Thao (According to Space )

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