Intuitive Machines, a Texas-based aerospace agency, has launched the primary pictures of the Earth captured by the corporate’s Odysseus Moon lander. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched Odysseus, also called NOVA-C, as a part of the Intuitive Machines 1 Mission (IM-1), on February 15, 2024. The pictures have been launched on February 16, and have been captured after the lander separated from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket.

The goal of the mission is to put Odysseus at crater Malapert A close to the lunar south pole. 

Odysseus carries 5 NASA payloads, and business cargo. 

NASA chosen Intuitive Machines to construct a lander as a part of the area company’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services Initiative (CLPS), wherein a business agency receives a contract. 

The following are the breathtaking pictures of the Earth captured by Odysseus.

All about IM-1 mission

Odysseus’s payloads will research interactions between the lunar floor and plumes, that are clouds of fuel. They may also carry out radio astronomy experiments, and research how the lunar floor interacts with the area climate. 

Odysseus may also reveal precision touchdown applied sciences, and exhibit communication and navigation mode capabilities. 

First, Odysseus will probably be positioned into an Earth orbit of measurement 185 kilometres x 60,000 kilometres. After this, translunar injection will happen. Following this, a manoeuvre will place Odysseus right into a 100-kilometre lunar orbit. 

Odysseus is anticipated to land at Malapert A crater on February 22. It can have a mission lifetime of 14 Earth days, within the presence of daylight. 

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Odysseus has a size of 4 metres, a width of 1.57 metres, and a lift-off mass of 1,908 kilograms. With six standing legs, Odysseus is able to carrying as much as 100 kilograms of payload to the lunar floor. 

The lander is supplied with photo voltaic panels which can enable it to generate 200 Watts of energy on the lunar floor. 

The essential engine, positioned on the backside of Odysseus, requires a pressure of three,100 Newtons to fireside up earlier than touchdown on the Moon. It makes use of liquid methane as gasoline, and liquid oxygen as oxidiser.

The IM-1 mission was the 18th flight of the primary stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket.

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