US prepares 'Nova-C' lander for a ride to Moon, mission to launch on Valentine's Day
An illustration of Earth as seen from Moon
The United States is gearing up for its next lunar mission set to launch on February 14, on Valentine's Day.This comes just weeks after a private American moon lander, Peregrine, burned up in the Earth's atmosphere upon its return. The objective of the next lunar mission is to achieve the first landing of a US-built lunar lander on the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.
This upcoming endeavour will involve a collaboration between Houston-based Intuitive Machines and SpaceX. The Intuitive Machines' lander, named Nova-C, will be mounted atop a SpaceX rocket. In contrast, Peregrine Mission One had a lander built by Astrobotic Technology and was on the Vulcan Centaur rocket, by United Launch Alliance (ULA).
If successful, it will also mark the first such feat by a private company. The mission is scheduled for a 12:57 am blast off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX. Nova-C lander moon touchdown is anticipated to be on February 22.
Nova-C is expected to land on an impact crater close to the lunar south pole.
It isestimated that the Apollo programme cost around $25.4 billion USD (not adjusted for inflation). In this latest moon mission, NASA paid over $100 million to the private sectorIntuitive Machines.Among Nova-C's payload are scientific instruments crucial for understanding the lunar environment.
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The most famous of all the Apollo missions is Apollo 11, which landed astronauts on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the lunar surface, while Michael Collins orbited above in the command module.
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Now, NASA's Artemis programme is aiming at returning humans to the Moon by the end of the decade. Named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, the Artemis programme seeks to build upon the legacy of the Apollo missions while incorporating new technologies and international partnerships.
Interestingly, the Nova-C cargo also includes artworks by renowned artist Jeff Koons. The journey to the Moon is fraught with challenges but some nations were able to get past them.
Soft lunar landings have been accomplished by five nations thus far, including the Soviet Union, the United States, which remains the sole nation to have landed humans on the Moon, India, China, and Japan.
(With inputs from agencies)