Intuitive Machines' Odysseus becomes first American lander to reach the moon in over 50 years

Odysseus, a privately built robotic lander, made history today by landing softly near the lunar south pole, becoming the first non-governmental spacecraft to do so. The last time an American vehicle touched the moon was nearly 52 years ago when NASA’s Apollo 17 mission ended the agency’s crewed lunar program.

“This is a monumental achievement for Intuitive Machines, for the United States, and for the world,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a celebratory video message. “Odysseus has opened a new chapter of lunar exploration and paved the way for future human missions. Congratulations!”

Why the moon matters

The moon was once the ultimate prize for the U.S. and the Soviet Union, who competed fiercely to land humans on its surface during the Cold War. The U.S. won that race, sending 12 astronauts to walk on the moon between 1969 and 1972. But after that, the moon lost its appeal, and NASA shifted its focus to other projects, such as the space shuttle and the International Space Station.

The U.S. still sent some robotic probes to orbit the moon, such as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been mapping the lunar terrain since 2009. But landing on the moon was not a priority — until recently.

In 2017, then-President Donald Trump signed a directive that instructed NASA to return humans to the moon as soon as possible. This led to the creation of Artemis, a bold program that aims to establish a permanent and sustainable presence on and around the moon by the end of this decade — and to use the moon as a stepping stone for eventual missions to Mars.

One of the key objectives of Artemis is to explore the moon’s south pole, where scientists believe there is a lot of water ice hidden in the dark craters. Water is essential for life and a potential source of fuel and oxygen for future lunar settlers.

But before sending humans to the South Pole, NASA needs to learn more about this mysterious region — how much water is there, how pure it is, and how easy it is to extract. That’s where Odysseus and other private landers come in.

A new way of doing business

NASA has partnered with several American companies to deliver scientific instruments to the lunar surface through a CLPS program (“Commercial Lunar Payload Services”). Instead of building and operating its landers, NASA pays these companies to carry its payloads on their vehicles, saving time and money.

“Our goal is to leverage the innovation and expertise of the private sector while enabling NASA to focus on the bigger picture of lunar exploration,” Sue Lederer, CLPS project scientist at Johnson Space Center in Houston, said during a press conference on February 12. “We also want to stimulate the development of a lunar economy, where commercial entities can offer services and products to a variety of customers.”

Odysseus is the first of many CLPS landers expected to launch in the coming years. It carries six NASA instruments, which will measure the temperature, radiation, magnetic field, and seismic activity of the lunar south pole and test a new navigation system. Odysseus will also deploy a small rover called MoonRanger to explore the surrounding area and look for signs of water ice.

Odysseus’ mission is scheduled to last for 14 Earth days or one lunar day. During that time, it will beam back valuable data and stunning images of the moon’s most elusive region, paving the way for the next generation of lunar explorers.