'Odysseus' successfully launches in attempt to put first private lander on the moon
Second time was a charm for a Houston-based company that launched a privately built moon lander into space early Thursday.
Second time was a charm for a Houston-based company that launched a privately built moon lander into space early Thursday.
The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines, lifted off at 1:05 a.m. ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The lander rode into orbit atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The launch was originally scheduled to take place Wednesday, but a glitch with the rocket’s methane fuel forced SpaceX to stand down.
Intuitive Machines is aiming to become the first to land a commercially built spacecraft on the lunar surface. If successful, it would also be the first moon landing for the U.S. in more than 50 years.
The lander, nicknamed Odysseus, is expected to spend a week in space before attempting to settle on the moon on Feb. 22.
Rating: 5