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2024-02-23 Science & Technology

US successfully lands on moon for first time in half-century with private robot spacecraft

[FoxBusinessNews] The U.S. witnessed Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lunar lander touch down near Malapert A in the South Pole region of the moon on Thursday evening.

This marked the first American spacecraft has landed on the moon since the last crewed Apollo mission over 50 years ago. The last time an American spacecraft touched down on the moon was in 1972, during the Apollo 17 mission.

The lunar lander touched down at 6:24 p.m. ET Thursday, and its mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative and Artemis campaign.

Although the lander was believed to be on the moon, the signal being transmitted by the equipment was lost.

In order to get that signal, the crew needed to use a dish in the U.K., because the lander's transmission had been lost at landing.

Nearly 15 minutes later, a faint signal was detected.

"We're not dead yet," Mission Director Tim Crain said, before telling the team the equipment was on the surface of the moon and transmitting.

A SpaceX rocket carried the Houston-based company’s Nova-C lander, also referred to as Odysseus, from Florida shortly after 1 a.m. on Feb. 15 on a Falcon 9 rocket departing from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. The launch unfolded after a lunar lander from Astrobotic Technology encountered propulsion difficulties during a mission in January and failed to reach the moon.

The uncrewed spacecraft has been circling the moon about 57 miles above the surface since reaching orbit on Wednesday and remained "in excellent health" while roughly 239,000 miles from Earth, transmitting flight data and lunar images to Intuitive Machines' mission control center in Houston, the company told Reuters.

Posted by Skidmark 2024-02-23 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 Touchdown! NASA-backed Odysseus craft lands on south pole of moon in first US expedition since 1972 as it prepares to drill for water for upcoming manned mission

Posted by Skidmark 2024-02-23 00:01|| 2024-02-23 00:01|| Front Page Top

#2 What would Jerry Pournelle say?

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2024-02-23 00:56|| 2024-02-23 00:56|| Front Page Top

#3 There will be several more space flights to the moon, the purpose of which is to build a permanent, human inhabitable moon base with a ready for occupancy target date in 2030.

Posted by Shoth Gratch3103 2024-02-23 06:58|| 2024-02-23 06:58|| Front Page Top

#4 Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Home foreclosures see a 'notable' increase amid ongoing cost-of-living crisis

Celebrity real estate agent Mauricio Umansky warns 'perfect storm' of housing unaffordability brewing

Posted by Skidmark 2024-02-23 07:59|| 2024-02-23 07:59|| Front Page Top

#5 I remember watching the first manned lunar landing in 1969. I would never in a million years have guessed that we would just abandon the whole space exploration project for 50 years.

I'm glad to see some progress in getting back on track.

Posted by Tom 2024-02-23 11:33|| 2024-02-23 11:33|| Front Page Top

#6 ..."but the poor". Yeah, right. We've pumped far more wasted graft money in helping the 'poor' for the last four decades and we still have poor and we have new arrivals daily.

Posted by Procopius2k 2024-02-23 12:46|| 2024-02-23 12:46|| Front Page Top

#7 The lack of any lunar surface photos or other data is perhaps a hint that being on the surface of the moon may not be the same as "mission going as planned"?

Posted by NoMoreBS 2024-02-23 13:47|| 2024-02-23 13:47|| Front Page Top

#8 Wow 20th century technology achievement at 21st century prices! Haven't felt such patriotic pride since we bugged out of Afghanistan.

Posted by Regular joe 2024-02-23 14:20|| 2024-02-23 14:20|| Front Page Top

#9 Latest report is it tipped over after touching down.

Posted by M. Murcek 2024-02-23 18:04|| 2024-02-23 18:04|| Front Page Top

#10 ^^^As Obama once said, "never underestimate Biden ability to..."

So far, the Biden's track record is holding true!

Posted by Seeking Cure For Ignorance 2024-02-23 19:38|| 2024-02-23 19:38|| Front Page Top

#11 One giant tumble for mankind! NASA confirms $118 million Odysseus lunar aircraft has TIPPED OVER onto its side after failed landing on the moon

Posted by Skidmark 2024-02-23 23:50|| 2024-02-23 23:50|| Front Page Top

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