US to launch next moon mission on Valentine’s Day

US corporations are set to launch for the moon on February 14, lower than a month since an analogous mission resulted in failure with the spaceship burning up within the Earth’s ambiance, NASA mentioned Wednesday.

The upcoming try incorporates a lander constructed by Houston-based Intuitive Machines mounted to the highest of a SpaceX rocket, whereas the final attempt concerned a United Launch Alliance rocket and Astrobotics lander.

However the stakes stay simply as excessive: reaching America’s first smooth landing on the lunar surface because the finish of the Apollo-era 5 a long time in the past, and the primary ever by non-public business.

SpaceX is concentrating on a 12:57 am (0557 GMT) blast off from the Kennedy House Middle in Florida, with Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander anticipated to land on the moon on February 22, at an impact crater close to the lunar south pole.

NASA paid Intuitive Machines greater than $100 million to ship its scientific {hardware} on the mission, a part of a broader technique to stimulate a lunar economic system and delegate routine cargo missions to the non-public sector.

The “Nova-C” lander’s payload contains devices to raised perceive the lunar atmosphere as NASA prepares to ship human crew members again to the celestial physique beneath the Artemis program later this decade.

It additionally contains extra colourful cargo, together with sculptures by the artist Jeff Koons.

Solely 5 nations have achieved smooth lunar landings. The Soviet Union was first, adopted by the US, which remains to be the one nation to place individuals on the moon. China achieved the feat 3 times prior to now decade, adopted by India, and most not too long ago Japan.

Japan’s lander touched down on January 20 however ended up on its aspect, leaving its solar panels off kilter.

Astrobotic’s failure was the third botched effort by non-government missions, after an Israeli nonprofit and Japanese firm each crash-landed in 2019 and 2023, respectively.

Touchdown on the moon is difficult by treacherous terrain and the shortage of ambiance, which suggests parachutes aren’t an choice and a spaceship has to make use of its thrusters to realize a managed descent.

© 2024 AFP