#lunar exploration
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The United States has returned to the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years after a privately-built spacecraft named Odysseus capped a nail-biting 73-minute descent from orbit with a touchdown near the moon’s south pole.
Amid celebrations of what NASA hailed “a giant leap forward,” there was no immediate confirmation of the status or condition of the lander, other than it had reached its planned landing site at crater Malapert A.
But later Intuitive Machines, the Texas-based company that built the first commercial craft to land on the moon, said the craft was “upright and starting to send data.”
The statement on X said mission managers were “working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface.”
The so-called “soft landing” on Thursday, which Steve Altemus, the company’s founder, had given only an 80% chance of succeeding, was designed to open a new era of lunar exploration as NASA works towards a scheduled late-2026 mission to send humans back there.
“Welcome to the moon,” Altemus said when touchdown when the 5.23pm touchdown was eventually confirmed, after about 10 minutes in which Odysseus was out of contact.
It was the first time any US-built spacecraft had landed on the moon since NASA’s most recent crewed visit, the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972, and the first visit by commercial vehicle following last month’s failure of Peregrine One, another partnership between the space agency and a private company, Astrobotic.
“Today, for the first time in more than a half century, the US has returned to the moon. Today, for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company, an American company, launched and led the voyage up there,” Bill Nelson, the NASA administrator, said.
“What a triumph. Odysseus has taken the moon. This feat is a giant leap forward for all of humanity.”
There was no video of Odysseus’s fully autonomous descent, which slowed to about 2.2mph at 33ft above the surface.
But a camera built by students at Florida’s Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University was designed to fall and take pictures immediately before touchdown, and NASA cameras were set to photograph the ground from the spacecraft.
The 14ft (4.3 metres) hexagonal, six-legged Nova-C lander, affectionately nicknamed Odie by Intuitive Machines employees, is part of NASA’s commercial lunar payload services (CLPS) initiative in which the agency awards contracts to private partners, largely to support the Artemis program.
NASA contributed $118m to get it off the ground, with Intuitive Machines funding a further $130m ahead of its February 15 launch from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.
The IM-1 mission, like the doomed Peregrine effort, is carrying a payload of scientific equipment designed to gather data about the lunar environment, specifically in the rocky region chosen as the landing site for NASA’s crewed Artemis III mission planned for two years’ time.
It is a hazardous area – “pockmarked with all of these craters,” according to Nelson – but chosen because it is believed to be rich in frozen water that could help sustain a permanent lunar base crucial to future human missions to Mars.
Scientists announced last year that they believed tiny glass beads strewn across the moon’s surface contained potentially “billions of tonnes of water” that could be extracted and used on future missions.
The risks are worth it, Nelson told CNN on Thursday, “to see if there is water in abundance. Because if there’s water, there’s rocket fuel: hydrogen, and oxygen. And we could have a gas station on the south pole of the moon.”
The planned operational life of the solar powered lander is only seven days, before the landing site about 186 miles from the moon’s south pole moves into Earth’s shadow.
But NASA hopes that will be long enough for analysis of how soil there reacted to the impact of the landing.
Other instruments will focus on space weather effects on the lunar surface, while a network of markers for communication and navigation will be deployed.
“Odysseus, powered by a company called Intuitive Machines, launched upon a SpaceX rocket, carrying a bounty of NASA scientific instruments, is bearing the dream of a new adventure in science, innovation, and American leadership in space,” Nelson said.
Through Artemis, NASA’s return-to-the-moon program that also has longer-term visions of crewed missions to Mars within the next two decades, the US seeks to stay ahead of Russia and China, both of which are planning their own human lunar landings.
Only the US has previously landed astronauts in six Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972, while five countries have placed uncrewed spacecraft there.
Japan joined the US, Russia, China, and India last month when its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (Slim) made a successful, if awkward touchdown after a three-month flight.
Two further Intuitive Machines launches are scheduled for later this year, including an ice drill to extract ingredients for rocket fuel, and another Nova-C lander containing a small Nasa rover and four small robots that will explore surface conditions.
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/feb/22/us-moon-landing-odysseus-intuitive-machines
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US returns to lunar surface with for first time in over 50 years
23 February 2024
A spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based company Intuitive Machines landed near the south pole of the moon, the first US touchdown on the lunar surface in more than half a century, and the first ever achieved entirely by the private sector.
Communication with Odysseus seemed be lost during the final stages of the landing, leaving mission control uncertain as to the precise condition and position of the lander, according to flight controllers heard in the webcast.
US returns to lunar surface for first time in over 50 years: ‘Welcome to the moon.’
#Odysseus#Intuitive Machines#Youtube#NASA#Malapert A#moon#moon landing#spacecraft#Steve Altemus#lunar exploration#Bill Nelson#Nova-C lander#Odie#commercial lunar payload services (CLPS)#Artemis#Kennedy Space Center#Falcon 9#Elon Musk#SpaceX#IM-1 mission#Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM)#lunar lander#earth
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Nereus Terminal by GTGRAPHICS.DE
#lunar outpost#lunar exploration#what if#realistic spacecraft#GTGRAPHICS.DE#space shuttle#lots of cans
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hermann gottlieb: on lunar exploration & lying to lab partners
Newton still has... moments. Fortunately, Hermann has become something of an expert.
Drafted this at work yesterday while my students did some freewriting. Five word prompt, and this AU came to life almost instantly. 1.539 words.
"I think I hate this."
"I know this is asking for the impossible, but could you please shut up?"
"No; I definitely hate this," Newt decided, plowing ahead as if completely unaware of Hermann speaking. The latter silently seethed, once more damning Fate and his father and every other confounded thing that had led to him being stuck here with this... menace.
Hermann turned from the observation screen with a scathing remark at the ready, but felt it deteriorate immediately upon seeing the distressing state of his partner.
Newton had situated himself on the floor, picking listlessly at some loose grout along the baseboard. Hermann frowned at the motion- the grout in question had developed a disturbingly bright, violet patina; as their lab and quarters were from the original base, it was likely a few decades old already.
And Newton, their alleged “expert” on microbes and fungi, was poking his bare fingers into it.
Wonderful.
The irritation was easily dismissed however, replaced by a flicker of concern as Hermann observed the repetitive action, realizing that this wasn't Newton's usual restlessness.
The pattern was too familiar after spending so long working next to the man- the way Newton had pulled his lower lip between his teeth, the subtle way he had shoved his entire body into as small a position as possible, right arm curved protectively around the folded legs, chin was only millimeters away from resting on his knees.
Stars help him, but he had seen this far too many times before.
"Newton, have you taken-"
"I mean, I know we're not in that much danger out here, I know that, but every time someone goes out there I get so caught up worrying about what might happen to them or what might come back with them or- It's- It's stupid; I’m being stupid, but it's like I can't stop and-"
His leg would give him hell for this later, but at the moment, he couldn't care less. Hermann carefully took a seat on Newton's right, before promptly wrapping his left arm about the younger's shoulders and hauling him into something resembling an embrace.
Newton stuttered out the beginnings a protest, but it fell away just as quickly, and he relaxed slightly. With a mild sense of victory, Hermann allowed himself a small smile, thumb tracing light fractals onto Newton's upper arm, the ridges in his skin snagging slightly on the Mylar of Newton's uniform.
"I must look pretty bad right now, huh." It was an only observation, a passing rhetorical, but Hermann couldn't help but hum an assent anyway, Newton letting out a small sound of frustration.
"I should be better than this by now. Hell I- I'm on the actual Moon! How is my anxiety still this bad?"
Hermann took a moment to consider how he should answer- _if _he should answer. But at Newton's subtle behest… Well, something was expected.
He was humbled- Newton trusting that Hermann could offer him a solution, that he could read the man better than Newton himself and offer some quantifiable, justifiable conclusion which could finally set his mind at ease.
But the human mind wasn't so simple as that; he knew firsthand how damnably un-simple it was.
Before one could even be considered for being stationed at Lunar Outpost GQ-654, they were required to take part in strenuous mental and physical examinations (with some notable exemptions), and well-
While he, in his own humble opinion, did an admirable job of concealing it, Hermann's mind was also filled with- as Newton had once phrased so eloquently- a “big ol' bag of cats.”
Another smile, this one unbidden, as he recalled that evening, watching Newton fly about the lab in his excitement, rambling (only partly-coherent) about the new water samples collected by Commander Mori's team on their latest mission. Captain Beckett had been visiting and surveying with fond amusement as Newton carried on, his tirade having shifted to something minutely conversational, dragging Raleigh into a debate about- A children’s game?
Oh, it was an age ago. Hermann couldn't recall every detail, but the core sensations of the memory remained: warmth, affection, familiarity.
And familiarity- perhaps acknowledgement?- was what Newton needed most.
"I don't much care for the dark side, myself."
He felt Newton stiffen slightly; had it been too long since he'd spoken last?
No... No. the coordinates for Mako's team showed that it had only been a few moments, barely any time having passed at all since he had taken a seat on the floor.
Newton was quiet, frame still coiled with tension that was edging towards contagious, Hermann's own fears starting to-
"Somehow I always seem to forget you're just as much a mess as I am."
Hermann couldn't repress a sardonic huff of laughter at that, letting his head fall back to rest against the cold wall, eyes fluttering shut as he sang softly. "'Misery... Misery loves company.'" He paused, resumed in his normal tone, almost conversationally. "Or so they say."
Newton shifted, relaxing and stretching out his left leg, letting out a pained noise as his knee cracked. Hermann winced in sympathy; their pending approach towards middle age was agreeing with neither of them.
After a few short breaths, he could hear a tease in Newton's voice. "Never woulda pegged you for an Anthrax fan."
"I'm not," Hermann lied easily. "But when you insist on playing that incessant caterwauling at all hours-"
"Hey-"
"-is it so hard to believe I would find at least one or two things that are somewhat tolerable?"
Newton's stunned silence- no matter how brief it would likely be- was a proverbial point to Hermann. He felt his smile grow, and could practically envision the consternation eclipsing the other's face.
"Herms..."
Oh. Oh dear, no. That wasn't the correct tone.
Alarmed, Hermann straightened, eyes wide as he tried to assess the condition of his crewmate. "Newton?"
Bright, hazel eyes were angled upwards to meet his own, and there was-
Oh, bugger him to hell.
-that damned smirk.
"You just admitted you like my music."
"I admitted to no such thing. I simply suggested-"
"Lie all you want, dude. I know now," Newton elongated and deepened his words, a practiced attempt at mimicking a villain from some cheesy B-rated sci-fi film. Hermann was surprised that Newton didn't punctuate his words with a-
"Mu-wha-ha-ha-ha."
-There it was.
"You're a bloody juvenile."
"Shut up; you love it," Newton chirped, voice finally peeling in its normal register. A little humiliation on his own end perhaps, but it was worth it to see Newton bouncing- quite literally- back on his feet, bright smile in place, holding out a hand to help Hermann stand.
"In small increments, Newton. Small increments," Hermann found himself acquiescing as he took the proffered hand, wincing as he avoided placing too much weight on his right leg.
He hoped Newton hadn't-
"You good?"
��-Oh of course he had noticed.
Hermann waved off Newton's concern, awkwardly ambling back towards his work station. The screen shifted to follow him, intuitively adjusting for the most convenient angle of its intended viewers. "I'll drop by Medical for more painkillers after J43-G3R is back in the docking bay."
As much as it ached, Hermann was still in charge of monitoring his Robotics' programming whenever one of the teams was out. If there were any faults or coding errors, then he needed to-
"I'll get 'em for you, dude."
Newton's voice cut off his train of thought, eyes dragging away from the observation screen. "Pardon?"
The other man offered a small shrug. "You asked me earlier about my meds, and I really did forget this morning. Figured I'll save you the wait and grab yours while I'm there."
Fondness settled like a small weight in his chest, and he internally sighed in relief. "Thank you, Newton. I would be most grateful."
Newton offered him double finger-guns as he shuffled backwards out the door. "Anytime, my guy."
Hermann started to turn back to his computer, the long lists of data that he would be sorting through come tomorrow, before he heard familiar footsteps once again.
"Hey Herms?"
Hermann didn't look away from his screen, only slightly tilting his head in Newton's direction. "Mm?"
"Thanks for earlier. I don't say it a lot, but I don't know how I'd get by without ya."
Hermann felt his entire body stutter at the spontaneous introduction of sentimentality; it was one thing to offer a loved one a physical gesture of comfort, but words-
Newton was watching him with that fond, foolish look he knew well now. Oh, it had dimmed for a time, somewhere between their first attempt at friendship and becoming begrudging research partners, but it had long since become so synonymous with all things Hermann now considered _Newton _that he couldn't help but offer a reflexive smile back.
"Get out of here, you blasted menace," he ordered, words still holding a tad too much fondness.
With a backwards shuffle and a mocking salute, Newton's expression shifted into a mischievous grin, the man almost side-swiping the doorway as he finally departed.
Hermann rolled his eyes before turning back to his work, lightly humming along to a song he most definitely wasn't a fan of.
#pacific rim#newt geiszler#newton geiszler#dr. geiszler#hermann gottlieb#dr. gottlieb#mako mori#raleigh beckett#short story#ficlet#newmann#could be read as platonic or romantic and i'm happily somewhere in the middle#au#alternate universe#lunar exploration#they are Friends! and i stand by this#my writing#speaking from experience you don't share a work space with someone who blasts music all the time without picking up a couple things you lik#my college roommate got me into edm and trap and i got her into punk rock; it balances~
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Lunar Odyssey: Astronauts Unveiling the Secrets of the Moon!
#astronaut#moon#lunar exploration#space travel#adventure#scientific discovery#lunar mysteries#moon landing#cosmic journey#outer space#human achievement#space mission#lunar surface#extraterrestrial exploration#lunar secrets#celestial exploration#astronomical expedition#lunar discoveries#space odyssey#moonwalk#space science#cosmic wonders#lunar research#lunar landscape#moon mission#lunar phenomena#astronaut adventures#lunar module#interstellar exploration#moon base
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I'll be damned! He did not fall out of a window. Or crash the lunar surface...
#lunar 25#lunar mission#lunar exploration#lunar landing#lunar#lunar surface#lunar race#prigozhin#yevyeny prigozhin#vladimir putin#putin#vladimir#russia#russian#russians
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Artemis is a great name for a lunar exploration program, so why the hell did we call the first one Apollo? Artemis is the goddess of the Moon! Apollo is her twin, sure, but he's the exact opposite, the god of the sun! It would be like naming a Mars mission Aphrodite instead of Ares because Aphrodite is Ares' lover, even though Aphrodite is clearly a name for a Venus program.
Mercury made sense because it was the first American spaceflight program and Mercury is the first planet from the sun, but it was also symbolic for carrying humanity's message to space.
Gemini made sense because the spacecraft was designed for two people, and Gemini represents the twins Castor and Pollux.
Apollo is just back-assward. It doesn't make sense.
#artemis program#artemis#apollo program#apollo#mercury program#gemini program#project mercury#project gemini#project apollo#project artemis#moon#the moon#space#nasa#lunar exploration
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On July 30, 1971 the first Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was delivered to the surface of the Moon by the crew of Apollo 15. They explored the lunar surface until August 2nd before flying back home, leaving the LRV on the Moon.
#lunar roving vehicle#lrv#moon landing#apollo 15#nasa#lunar exploration#science#science history#on this day#on this day in science history
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DAILY DOSE: Odysseus Lunar Landing Mishap Reported; Neuralink's Mind-Control Device Sparks Debate.
ODYSSEUS LUNAR LANDER TILTS, YET MAINTAINS OPERATIONAL POTENTIAL.
Intuitive Machines’ lunar lander, Odysseus, experienced a mishap during its touchdown near the moon’s south pole, ending up on its side due to coming in too fast and possibly breaking a leg upon impact. Despite this setback, CEO Steve Altemus reported that the lander retains significant operational capability. However, the…
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#aerospace#Africa#allergies#Asia#Australia#bioethics#brain#brain-computer-interface#cancer#drug development#ethics#Europe#evolution#Featured#Genetics#lunar exploration#North America#pharmaceutical industry#society#South America#space exploration#zoology
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IM-1's Final Landing Position Is Either Tipped Or On Its Side
While Intuitive Machines soft-landing on the moon yesterday was successful, and the first by an American spacecraft in over fifty years, the news today is not all good: the company thinks that Odysseus, the company’s lunar lander is highly tilted or perhaps on its side.
In a NASA-hosted press conference late this afternoon, Intuitive Machines CEO and co-founder, Steve Altemus said that “We think…
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NASA Artemis Lunar Exploration Update: Media Briefing Jan. 9
An illustration of a suited Artemis astronaut looking out of a Moon lander hatch across the lunar surface, the Lunar Terrain Vehicle and other surface elements.
NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1:30 p.m. EST on Jan. 9 to discuss lunar exploration plans under Artemis. The briefing will feature key NASA figures and industry partners, streaming live on NASA’s website.
The agency has made…
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Would You Break the Bank for a Lunar Experience?
Hey everyone, Vladimir here! Ever wondered how much you'd pay for a trip to the Moon? Is it worth the astronomical cost? Join me in exploring this cosmic dilemma in my latest blog!
Hey everyone, Vladimir here. Today, let’s talk about a topic that fuses financial planning with one of my all-time favorite subjects—space exploration. Have you ever wondered how much you’d be willing to pay for a trip to the moon?
The Cosmic Fantasy
Since childhood, many of us have been captivated by the allure of outer space. I’m sure I’m not alone in having imagined myself as an astronaut,…
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#Cost Analysis#dailyprompt#dailyprompt-2102#Ethical Dilemmas#Financial Planning#Future of Travel#Investment vs Experience#Life Choices#Lunar Exploration#Personal Growth#Space Tourism#Stoicism
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Chandrayaan-3: India's Next Moon Mission
Chandrayaan-3 is India’s third lunar exploration mission, following Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2. It is a follow-up mission to Chandrayaan-2, which crashed on the Moon in 2019 due to a software glitch.
Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled to launch in 2023 and will consist of a lander and rover. The lander will soft land on the Moon near the south pole, and the rover will deploy and explore the…
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Embark on a thrilling cosmic journey with us as we explore the Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS), a crucial component of Aditya-L1's ASPEX payload, and discover the secrets of space particles from the Sun before it reaches its final destination at the L1 point!
#SpaceExploration #SolarProbe #STEPS #ASPEXMission #AdityaL1 #SpaceWeather #Sun #CosmicJourney #L1Point #SpaceExploration #SolarParticles #STEPS #BeforeDestination #ASPEX #SpaceWeather #Sun #SpaceScience #CosmicMysteries
#Supra Thermal & Energetic Particle Spectrometer#Aditya-L1 Solar Probe#ASPEX payload#Earth's magnetic field#spacecraft mission#space research#scientific exploration#cosmic mysteries#MR. GK#electrons in space#L1 point#pre-destination insights.#Chandrayaan-3#ISRO#Lunar Exploration#Pragyaan Rover#Space Discovery#Moon Mission#Lunar Surface#Space Exploration#Lunar Secrets#Space Agency#Lunar Exploration Update.#rover#isro#MADAN GOWRI#TAMIL POKKISHAM
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ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 Confirms Presence of Sulfur and Other Elements on Lunar South Pole
India recently achieved a space exploration milestone by becoming the first nation to land a rover on the Moon’s mysterious south pole. The ambitious Chandrayaan-3 mission’s rover Pragyan has begun using its onboard instruments to study this unexplored frontier up close. Early results reveal the rover’s groundbreaking capabilities to analyze lunar soil composition, with potential implications for…
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#Chandrayaan-3#Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)#Lunar exploration#Moon&039;s south pole#Pragyan rover
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Welcome back to The Moon Age!
>> https://www.cafepress.com/sanetv_shop/7135952<<
#moon#Luna#lunar#moon age#lunar exploration#India#space program#nasa jpl#NASA#JPL#Orion#Artemis#Apollo#t-shirts#fashion#style#space#stars#solar system#science#STEM#intmsm#sanetv mainline
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Chandrayaan
As of my last knowledge update in September 2021, India had conducted several significant lunar exploration activities. Please note that there might have been further developments beyond that date. Here are the major lunar exploration activities carried out by India up to that point:
Chandrayaan-1 (2008-2009):
Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first lunar probe, launched by the Indian Space Research…
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