Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Odysseus, Intuitive Machines' lunar lander sent its first photos from space. The photo sent was a “selfie” with the Earth moments after it left the SpaceX rocket.
After flying from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 15 2024 local time, Odysseus is now on his way to the Moon.
On Sunday (19/2/2024), Intuitive Machines published the first image sent by Odysseus after launch.
“Intuitive Machines sent the first image to Earth on February 16, 2024. This image was taken shortly after separation with SpaceX of the second stage in Intuitive Machines' first trip to the Moon in NASA's CLPS initiative,” Intuitive Machines said on its official Twitter account.
CLPS is short for Commercial Lunar Payload Services. This project is part of NASA's Moon exploration efforts through the Artemis mission.
The IM-1 mission carried out by Intuitive Machines is the earliest stage of establishing a logistical “path” between Earth and the Moon. NASA has the ambition to prepare the Moon for human landing missions and prepare locations for human settlement on the surface of the Moon.
If the IM-1 mission is successful, Odysseus will be the first private mission to successfully land on the Moon.
NASA arranged for CLPS to be carried out in stages by assigning private companies to transport goods with “ambitious” weights that became increasingly “heavier.”
The first mission in the CLPS project ended in failure. The first Peregrin mission managed by Astrobotic Technology failed to launch into orbit and burned up in the Earth's atmosphere.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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