LunarX: NASA-Backed Firm Launching Moon Mission

NASA-backed private US firm to launch Moon mission

Houston-based Intuitive Machines plans to launch a lunar lander on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on February 14th. The lander, called “Odysseus,” will attempt to become the first-ever private spacecraft to land softly on the Moon’s surface on February 22nd. This mission is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which aims to lay the foundation for human missions and a sustainable human presence on the lunar surface. The success of this mission will mark the US’s return to the Moon after 50 years.