Overview

• A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Nova-C lunar lander, part of Intuitive Machines' IM-1 mission, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on February 15, 2024, marking a significant step in commercial lunar exploration.
• Nova-C carries six NASA instruments designed to study the lunar environment and improve landing precision, supporting future Artemis astronaut missions to the Moon's south polar region.
• The mission, named Odysseus, aims to be the first-ever private spacecraft to successfully land on the Moon, with a targeted landing near Malapert A crater on February 22.
• If successful, Odysseus will mark the first American moon landing in over 50 years and pave the way for NASA's Artemis program, which seeks to establish a crewed base near the Moon's south pole.
• The mission carries both NASA scientific payloads and commercial payloads, including a thermal insulator test by Columbia Sportswear and sculptures by artist Jeff Koons.