Published14 minutes ago
Texan company Intuitive Machines (IM) will attempt to put a spacecraft on the Moon in the coming hours.
If the firm succeeds, it will be the first ever commercial venture to achieve the feat.
It would also represent the first American soft landing on the lunar surface since the Apollo era just over half a century ago.
IM has been contracted by the US space agency (Nasa) to carry scientific instruments to the Moon’s south pole.
The targeted landing site is a cratered terrain next to a 5km-high mountain complex known as Malapert. The region is one of the locations on Nasa’s shortlist of places to send astronauts later this decade as part of its Artemis programme.
The instrumentation should give planners some fresh insights on what surface conditions in the region are like.
Controllers at Intuitive Machines are aiming for a touchdown around 22:30 GMT.
“The six Nasa payloads and six commercial payloads expect to operate on the lunar surface for seven days before the sun sets on our landing site at Malapert A Crater on the south pole of the Moon, rendering the IM-1 mission complete. During this time, we will be performing some amazing experiments and technology demonstrations,” said Trent Martin, the company’s vice president of space systems.
IM’s effort follows that of another private
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