Launched at 3:05 pm on the 15th due to methane temperature issues
The launch of the lunar lander ‘Odysseus’ by US private space company Intuitive Machines has been postponed.
SpaceX announced on the 14th (local time) through did.
Space
If the launch is postponed on the 15th, the 16th is the last chance. If you exceed this limit, you will have to wait until next month.
If the plan goes ahead without a hitch, Odysseus will attempt to land on the moon on the 22nd after swimming in space for about a week. If successful, it will become the first American probe to land on the lunar surface in 52 years since Apollo 17.
Odysseus’ expected landing site is the Malapert A crater area near the lunar south pole. It is known to be relatively rich in water ice within the crater, and has attracted the attention of scientists for a long time.
Previously, American space company Astrobotic Technology’s ‘Peregrine’ lunar lander also attempted to land on the moon on the 7th of last month, but failed due to a fatal fuel leak that occurred immediately after launch.
Intuitive Machine and Astrobotic’s lunar lander project is part of the Civil Lunar Payload Service (CLPS), a subproject of Artemis, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s manned lunar exploration program.
NASA ultimately aims to build a base camp on the moon, and is attempting to transport cargo and scientific equipment to the lunar surface with a private exploration vehicle through CLPS.
NASA has postponed the launch plan for ‘Artemis 2’, which was scheduled for the end of this year, to September 2025, and the ‘Artemis 3’ plan, which would land four astronauts on the moon, to September 2026.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.