The mission of the "Odysseus" probe to the Moon

2024-03-01 22:05:23, Tech CNA

The probe "Odysseus" (Odyssea), which landed on the moon on February 22, has sent images to the ground, despite being in an inclined position on the surface of the moon. With this mission, the United States returns to the surface of the Moon after more than 50 years. The probe of a private company is conducting experiments for the American space agency, NASA.

The American company "Intuitive Machines" has published images of unexplored areas of the Moon, sent by its "Odysseus" probe.

The probe landed about 1.5 kilometers away from its target, the "Malapert A" crater, which is located about 300 kilometers from the south pole of the Moon. However, during the descent, one of the probe's six legs stuck on the surface of the Moon, causing it to rest in an inclined position. This has hampered communication with the earth and its ability to produce energy through solar panels.

However, Vice President of Research and Development at Intuitive Machines, Tim Crain, called the landing of the probe on the moon "a natural progression" of mankind in the efforts to explore our solar system.

"We all fly airplanes today and don't think twice about it. But the first airplanes were a new and sometimes very dangerous method of transportation. The same can happen with space exploration, including trips to the moon, that can be improved with the contribution of private companies. We think this is the first step in this direction," he says.

According to NASA, the probe ended up in a small, degraded crater with a slope of 12 degrees. This is the first time a spacecraft has landed so close to the Moon's south pole, an area of ??interest because of the suspected presence of frozen water in permanently shadowed craters there.

NASA, which plans to send astronauts to this region of the Moon in the coming years, paid Intuitive Machines $118 million to conduct six experiments.

Other customers also have equipment on board the US probe.

Professor of mechanical engineering at the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, Jason Rabinovitch says space is a "very challenging" environment.

"Landing on the Moon, Mars or another place in space is challenging. Space is full of challenges. It is a very extreme environment because during the landing you can face various dangers such as flipping and problems with the orientation of the spacecraft. So there are many challenges, which if not overcome can end a space mission," says Mr. Rabinovic, who worked on the mission to send the Perseverance probe to Mars in 2020.

Despite the descent of the probe "Odysseus" into an inclined position, "Intuitive Machines" became the first private company to become part of an elite group of entities that have sent probes to the moon.

Another American company, Astrobotic Technology, tried this in January, but failed to reach the moon due to a fuel leak in its probe.

Twelve astronauts landed on the Moon from 1969 to 1972, as part of the American "Apollo" lunar exploration program.

Since the 1960s, only the United States, Russia, China, India and Japan have succeeded in sending probes to the Moon. Only the United States has successfully sent astronauts to the Moon.

The American companies "Intuitive Machines" and "Astrobotic Technology" have other contracts with the American space agency for exploration missions to the Moon./ VOA