New Era of Moon Landing: "Nova-C" Poised to Leap into Space

In the relentless pursuit of opening new chapters in space exploration history, the US company Intuitive Machines is preparing for a significant milestone. Their lunar lander "Nova-C," a technological marvel akin to an old-fashioned British phone booth, is on its way to become the first commercial spacecraft to land on the Moon. The launch has now been scheduled for the upcoming Thursday from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, after a minor delay necessitated by deviating fuel temperatures. With the mission, nicknamed "Odysseus," Intuitive Machines aims to achieve a lunar landing on February 22 – a historic event reminiscent of the glorious days of the Apollo missions and one that might mark the beginning of a new chapter in the commercial use of space. The importance of the venture is highlighted by the fact that SpaceX's "Falcon 9" rocket, from the always visionary company of Elon Musk, will serve as the launch vehicle. "Odysseus" impresses with its compact size, aluminum legs, and a cargo capacity of about 130 kilograms, a significant portion of which will be occupied by NASA research equipment. Additionally, commercial entities have acquired space for their own projects, and not least, the US artist Jeff Koons will send 125 of his miniature stainless-steel artworks on the journey. The southern region of the Moon, a crater named "Malapert A," has been chosen as the target area, where "Odysseus," upon a successful landing, is supposed to be operational for about a week. The challenge is immense, as lunar landings are notoriously error-prone – a fact that already thwarted two mission plans earlier this year.