A privately-funded American spacecraft successfully reached the moon and entered a low orbit on Wednesday, one day before it will attempt to achieve an even more impressive milestone: landing on the gray, dusty surface.

A successful landing would mark the return of the U.S. to the moon for the first time since the conclusion of the Apollo program in 1972. If successful, the company would also be the first private organization to achieve a successful moon landing.

Intuitive Machines’ lander successfully ignited its engine on the far side of the moon last week, while communication with Earth was temporarily lost. Flight controllers at the company’s headquarters in Houston had to wait until the spacecraft reestablished contact to confirm its status – whether it had entered orbit or was drifting off course.

Odysseus, the lander from Intuitive Machines, has successfully entered orbit around the moon and is carrying experiments from various clients including NASA. This is part of NASA’s initiative to stimulate the lunar economy, and they have paid $118 million for their experiments to be included in this mission.

On Thursday, the orbit will be reduced from approximately 60 miles (92 kilometers) to 6 miles (10 kilometers) by the controllers. This important maneuver will take place on the far side of the moon before attempting to land near the south pole. It is considered a risky location due to the presence of craters and cliffs, but it is highly valued by astronauts as the shaded craters are thought to contain frozen water.

Debris from unsuccessful landings can be found on the surface of the moon. Certain missions were unable to even reach this point. Astrobotic Technology, a company based in the U.S., recently attempted to send a lander to the moon, but it was unsuccessful due to a fuel leak. The damaged lander re-entered the atmosphere and ultimately burned up over the Pacific Ocean.

An overview of the moon’s success and failures.

First victories

In 1966, the Soviet Union’s Luna 9 successfully landed on the moon, while previous attempts had resulted in crashes or missing the moon completely. Four months later, the U.S. achieved a robotic landing with Surveyor 1. As the competition to land humans intensified, both countries made further advancements in robotic landings.

Apollo rules

In 1969, NASA successfully completed the space race against the Soviets by achieving a moon landing with Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Over the course of six missions, twelve astronauts were able to explore the moon’s surface before the program came to an end with Apollo 17 in 1972. The United States remains the only country to have sent humans to the moon and plans to send crews back by the end of 2026. This will come after a lunar fly-around by astronauts in the previous year.

China emerges

In 2013, China successfully landed on the moon, making it the third country to do so. They sent a rover named Yutu, which means jade rabbit in Chinese. In 2019, China followed up with the Yutu-2 rover, which landed on the unexplored far side of the moon – a remarkable achievement. In 2020, they conducted a sample return mission on the near side of the moon, bringing back nearly 4 pounds (1.7 kilograms) of lunar rocks and dirt. Another sample return mission is planned for the far side in the near future. China is viewed as NASA’s main competitor in lunar exploration and aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2030.

Russia stumbles

In 2023, Russia attempts its first lunar landing in almost 50 years, but the Luna 25 probe crashes into the moon’s surface. The nation’s previous lander, Luna 24 in 1976, not only successfully landed but also brought back samples of moon rocks to Earth.

India emerges victorious in second attempt

In 2019, India’s initial lunar lander collided with the moon, but the country bounced back and in 2023, launched Chandrayaan-3 (which translates to “moon craft” in Hindi). The spacecraft effectively lands on the moon, making India the fourth nation to achieve a successful lunar landing. This accomplishment comes only four days after Russia’s failed attempt.

Japan lands sideways

In January, Japan achieved the feat of being the fifth country to successfully land on the moon. However, the spacecraft landed on the incorrect side, causing a limitation in its ability to utilize solar energy. Despite this setback, the craft was able to capture images and gather scientific data before becoming inactive during the extended lunar night.

Private tries

In 2019, a privately funded spacecraft called Beresheet, meaning “in the beginning” in Hebrew, crashes into the moon. Another lunar lander, launched by Japanese entrepreneur’s company ispace, also meets the same fate in 2023. In January, Astrobotic Technology, a company based in Pittsburgh, attempts to launch its own lander but a fuel leak causes it to fail and prevents a successful landing. Despite these setbacks, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines have plans for future moon deliveries.

Source: voanews.com