Back to the Moon

February 25, 2024 (newsletter@email.businessinsider.com)

Intuitive Machines/NASA

Dispatch

Back to the moon

It took more than 50 years, but an American moon lander is back on the lunar surface.

The Odysseus lander, made via a collaboration between NASA and commercial operator Intuitive Machines, touched down on Thursday. It followed a string of failed landings, including one just last month from Astrobotic. 

It’s an incredible feat of science and ingenuity. It also has the potential to fuel a new space race.

The Odysseus launch was part of NASA’s Artemis program, which involves commercial giants like SpaceX and smaller companies like Intuitive Machines, which went public in a SPAC deal last year. 

And whereas the Apollo program was about getting to the moon, Artemis is about staying there. The goal: to pave the road to human settlements beyond earth.

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