Intuitive Machines will attempt to become the first commercial company to achieve a soft landing on the moon this week. If it succeeds in successfully touching down its Odysseus spacecraft on Thursday, it will also mark the first soft lunar landing by the U.S. since the final Apollo mission more than five decades ago.
The Texas-based company, which has been contracted by NASA to send Odysseus to the moon as part of the space agency’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) program, launched its lander aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center three days ago.
A mission update provided by Intuitive Machines on Sunday shared some amazing Earth images taken by Odysseus. At the same time, the company confirmed that the spacecraft is making excellent progress as it continues its journey toward the moon.
The next crucial phase of the mission will take place on Wednesday when the team inserts Odysseus into a lunar orbit. Assuming that goes to plan, the spacecraft will be all set for its all-important descent the following day.
The main goal of the mission is to deliver a dozen science and technology payloads to the moon’s South Pole region, a part of the moon that remains unexplored and is the focus of NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions. The first crewed landing is currently set for 2026.
How to watch
Intuitive Machines is planning to live stream the landing on the IM-1 mission webpage on Thursday, February 22. You can also watch it on the player embedded at the top of this page. The touchdown is targeted for 5:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT). The live stream will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET (12:30 p.m. PT).
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