Today is the Clarence Day ! In just a few hour , Intuitive Machines might be get history . They could become the first private companionship to soft - solid ground on the Moon . The company ’s lander , named Odysseus ( also known as IM-1 ) , launched last week , and it is schedule to land on February 22 at 4:24 necropsy Eastern Standard Time ( 9:24 pm UTC ) inside Malapert A crater . This will be the closest - ever landing to the Moon ’s South Pole .
Malapert A volcanic crater is 69 kilometers ( 43 mi ) across and is 300 kilometers ( 186 international mile ) from the South Pole . The previous record - bearer for the southernmost landing wasChandrayaan-3 , which last September get around 600 kilometers ( 372.8 nautical mile ) from the South Pole . This is an domain of utmost interest for future human village of our instinctive artificial satellite , due to the bearing of water trash .
IM-1 is one of themany attemptsat getting to the Moon this year . The lander acquit several NASA freight , as well as others from secret companies and enquiry institutions . It is expected to do several important investigations that might influence the future of human geographic expedition of the Moon . In fact , the region targeted is one of thepotential targetsfor the next crew Moon landing place . That is expected to happen withArtemis IIIin September 2026 .
“ IM-1 is a trailblazing mission aimed at creating a commercial lunar economy , delivering commercial loading and NASA science and engineering freight that will pave the path for a sustainable human presence on and around the Moon , ” Intuitive Machines said about Odysseus in amission statement .
If the mission is successful it will be the first US fomite to country on the Moon since 1972 , when Apollo 17 got there carry Gene Cernan andHarrison Schmitt . But winner is always changeable when it comes to Moon landings .
Just last month , another commercial mission from the US failed before even attempting to land . Astrobotic ’s Peregrine Mission One had a propellant leak that cause tumbling , allow itunable to orientits solar instrument panel decently . Not own enough juice to provide its orbit around the world , it was finally bring back down to Earth , burning in the atm .
But even getting near the Moon is no guaranty of a safe landing . Russia ’s Luna 25crash - landed last summer after many years of development . On the individual enterprise side , there have been two premature try and two crash - landings : one fromIsraeland one from aUnited Arab Emirates - Japan partnership .
The whole landing endeavor can be ascertain in the stream above or onNASA+ .
This article was amended to update the scheduled landing time to 4:24 pm EST ( 9:24 autopsy UTC ) .
