Private US moon lander Odysseus transmits first IM-1mission images to Earth

Odysseus, the private spacecraft launched by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on February 15, has beamed its first pictures from the final frontier.

The aerospace company took toX onFeb 17 to write, "Intuitive Machines successfully transmitted its first IM-1 mission images to Earth on February 16, 2024. The images were captured shortly after separation from @SpaceX's second stage on Intuitive Machines' first journey to the moon under @NASA's CLPS initiative."

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The Commercial Lunar Payload Service Program (CLPS) allows private robotic moon landers like Odysseus to carry agency science instruments. The Nova-C lander (Odysseus) is carrying NASA's six experiments and technology demonstrations and six private payloads on its ongoing IM-1 mission. These instruments will collect data for NASA's Artemis program, which aspires to set a crewed base near the lunar south pole by 2030.

Odysseus' combination of liquid methane and liquid oxygen is also used by SpaceX's Raptor engines. These engines power the company's Starship rocket, which is being developed to transport people to the moon and Mars. The Starship rocket is currently being prepared for its third test flight, which may take place in the coming weeks.

However, IM-1 wasn't the first CLPS effort to launch. It was Peregrine, a moon lander built by Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic. They launched it atop a United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket.

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Although the launch went well, Peregrine suffered a fuel leak shortly after separating from the rocket's upper stage. The lander failed to reach the moon. The handlers conducted a destruction of the spacecraft in the Earth's atmosphere on January 18.

In Odysseus's case, things have been going well so far. The moon lander is in perfect condition and communicating with mission control as it heads for its destination. Intuitive Machines has planned the touchdown attempt for February 22.

Various systems of Odysseus are also functioning normally, including the engine, which just achieved an important checkout in deep space.

"Intuitive Machines flight controllers successfully fired the first liquid methane and liquid oxygen engine in space, completing the IM-1 mission engine commissioning. This engine firing included a full thrust mainstage engine burn and throttle down-profile necessary to land on the moon," the company said in an X post on Friday (February 16).

If Odysseus succeeds in the mission, it would be historic as no private spacecraft has soft-landed on the moon.

(With inputs from agencies)