{"id":777626,"date":"2024-02-22T06:39:01","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T11:39:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=777626"},"modified":"2024-02-22T06:39:01","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T11:39:01","slug":"intuitive-machines-prepares-to-land-on-the-moon-heres-what-to-know-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=777626","title":{"rendered":"Intuitive Machines prepares to land on the moon. Here’s what to know : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar lander was carried into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Feb. 15.
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Gregg Newton\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar lander was carried into orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Feb. 15.<\/p>\n

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Gregg Newton\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

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The U.S. may be about to land its first commercial mission on the surface of the moon. On Thursday, the robotic probe known as Odysseus is scheduled to set down near the lunar south pole.<\/p>\n

But there’s still a lot that could go wrong.<\/p>\n

The spacecraft was built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines. It took off from Florida last week aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The IM-1 mission is one of several that NASA has purchased from private companies as part of its Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.<\/p>\n

The space agency is paying a fixed price of a little over $100 million for this mission \u2014 a relative bargain when it comes to space exploration. On board are several NASA experiments that will be used to study the environment around the lander and to develop some new technologies for future landings.<\/p>\n