On February 22, 2024, the United States returned to the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, achieving a historic feat. It was a mission to the moon initiated and carried out by a private company, Intuitive Systems, called IM-1 (Interstellar Mission 1). The goal of the mission was to land a robotic probe at Malapert A crater near the moon's south pole, named after it"Odysseus"(odysseus) and conduct scientific research and resource exploration there.
Odysseus"It is a four-wheeled robot vehicle weighing about 300 kilograms (660 pounds) and carrying a variety of instruments and equipment, including video cameras, spectrometers, geological hammers, drill bits, solar panels, and communication antennas. Its design is inspired by the hero Odysseus of Greek mythology, who experienced various adventures and difficulties on his long journey home. "Odysseus"The mission is to explore the lunar surface for at least a year, collect and analyze rock samples, search for water ice and other valuable resources, and test some new technologies and concepts, such as wireless charging, drones and artificial intelligence.
Odysseus"The launch and landing process was a thrilling adventure, full of challenges and risks. It is made up of one"Nova - c"Launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base in Florida, USA, the NOVA-C is a reusable two-stage rocket developed in-house by Intuition Systems. The rocket will"Odysseus"It was put into Earth-Moon transfer orbit and then released it eight days later, allowing it to begin its final descent phase.
In the process of descent,"Odysseus"The ship suffered a serious technical malfunction that caused its onboard landing navigation system to fail. This means that it cannot accurately determine its position, speed, and attitude, nor can it avoid obstacles on the surface of the moon. To solve this problem, the flight engineer had to urgently install a software patch that would"Odysseus"The system is connected to an experimental device called Navigation Doppler LiDAR (NDL). NDL is a new laser-guided landing navigation technology developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that measures the speed and distance of an aircraft by emitting and receiving laser pulses to the surface of the moon. NDL was originally intended only as part of a commercial payload to demonstrate its performance and potential, but in this crisis, it became"Odysseus"No. of the lifesaver.
With the help of NDL,"Odysseus"The ship successfully landed at the intended landing site, but did not immediately send a signal to Mission Control, leaving the crew on the ground in a nervous wait. It turned out,"Odysseus"It will take some time to deploy and inspect its systems and equipment after landing to make sure everything is in order. After a long 13 minutes"Odysseus"The ship finally established radio communication with the ground, announcing its safe landing to the world. The news sparked cheers and celebrations from Mission Control and Intuitive Systems, who were immensely proud and excited about their accomplishments.
Odysseus"The landing went down in history as the first U.S. lunar lander mission since Apollo 17 in 1972 and the first time a privately owned and operated spacecraft landed on the moon. This feat not only demonstrates the innovative ability and courage of Intuitive Systems, but also opens up new possibilities and opportunities for lunar exploration and development. "Odysseus"It will continue its mission in the coming year to increase human knowledge and awareness of the Moon, as well as lay the groundwork for future lunar bases and colonies. "Odysseus"It has a new home, where it will continue to explore and discover, as its name suggests, to become a true lunar hero. February** Dynamic Incentive Program