Space Frames: The American module flew to the moon using SpaceX rocket (video)

The Odysseus private landing module successfully separated from the SpaceX rocket and flew a historical mission. No private spacecraft has been successfully landed on the surface of the moon, but this can do this landing module Odysseus, created by the American company Intuitive Machines. This mission is also historic because the United States has not landed its drone or manned spacecraft since the Apollo-17 mission in December 1972, Space reports. In focus.

Technology has appeared its Telegram channel. Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intrusive news from the world of science! Odyssey planting module (the name of the first similar NOVA-C apparatus from Intuitive Machines, because they will be others) successfully went on orbit on board Falcon 9 rocket launcher from SpaceX on February 15.

After that, the module successfully separated from the upper stage of the rocket and began its independent trip to the month, where it should make a soft landing on February 22. Initially, Odysseus will go out orbit around the moon, and then try to land at the bottom of a small crater about 300 km from the south pole of the Earth's satellite.

According to Intuitive Machines, which appeared 8 hours after launching, the landing module took the desired position in space, receives energy from the sun's rays, sends radio signals to the ground and flies a previously chosen trajectory to its goal.

If everything goes according to the plan, then the Odysseus planting module will become not only the first private apparatus that has successfully landed on the moon, but also the first American robotic apparatus on the Earth's satellite for 52 years. The planting machine has 12 useful loads on board, half of which belong to NASA. The latest tools are designed to test various technologies and to study the surface of the moon.

In particular, a new technology for accurate navigation and landing on the surface of the Earth satellite will be checked, as well as special cameras will collect data on how the module engine emissions are affected by the module and how they can change local regolit. The collected data will help NASA scientists better prepare for the landing of astronauts on a month in 2 years in the South Pole within the Artemis program.

Odyssey planting module has become the second private robotic apparatus to conquer the moon. In January, it tried to do the Peregrine module, also created by the US company called Astrobotic. But 11 days after successful launch from the ground, the module returned back due to the accident on board and burned in the atmosphere of our planet, as focus has already written.