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In Partnership with NASA, SpaceX Launches Rocket to Mysterious Lunar South Pole

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Photo: In Partnership with NASA, SpaceX Launches Rocket to Mysterious Lunar South Pole. Source: spacex.com
Photo: In Partnership with NASA, SpaceX Launches Rocket to Mysterious Lunar South Pole. Source: spacex.com

A SpaceX rocket with a lander from a private US company launched to the moon on Thursday morning. The Intuitive Machines lunar lander is scheduled to land near the Moon's south pole on 22 February. 

It is believed that the Malapert massif (unofficial name) is a remnant of the edge of the South Pole - Aitken basin, which was formed more than 4 billion years ago. Recently, this magnificent peak (below left) was selected as a candidate for the landing of Artemis III.


The Odyssey spacecraft is currently completing its epic journey to the Moon. It successfully separated from the Falcon 9 rocket that launched it into Earth orbit. As the rocket travelled at 23,000 miles per hour and 139 miles above the planet, its cone opened like a clamshell and springs gently pushed the spacecraft away.


NASA is waiting for the spacecraft to send a signal to mission control in Houston, Texas, confirming that everything is working properly. 


Among the items on the lander, the IM-1 mission will carry NASA science and technology instruments that focus on plume-surface interaction, space weather/lunar weather, surface interaction, radio astronomy, precision landing technologies, and a communications and navigation node for future autonomous navigation technologies.


The launch was broadcast live on all NASA digital platforms.

NASA is working with several private US companies to deliver science and technology to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative.


These companies, of varying sizes, are bidding to deliver payloads for NASA. This includes everything from payload integration and operations to launch from Earth and landing on the lunar surface. 


Under Artemis, commercial deliveries beginning in 2023 will conduct science experiments, test technologies and demonstrate capabilities to help NASA explore the Moon to prepare for human missions. 


The CLPS contracts are indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts with a combined maximum contract value of $2.6 billion through 2028. 

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