Hey everybody, welcome back to the Elon Musk Podcast. This is a show where we discuss the critical Crossroads, The Shape, SpaceX, Tesla X, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, and I'm your host, Will Walden. If you want uninterrupted episodes of the Elon Musk podcast, please go to clubelon.supercast.com to find out how there's a link in the show notes The Moon has welcomed a new visitor from the United States marking the country's first lunar landing in over 50
years. The Lander named Odysseus was confirmed to be operational and communicating with Earth, though it's precise location and condition were still under assessment. Now Houston based Intuitive Machines, the creator of Odysseus, has been actively exchanging commands with a spacecraft to gather scientific data and the company acknowledged ongoing efforts to ascertain the Landers exact whereabouts, health and orientation on the lunar surface.
Intuitive machines aim for a landing near the lunar South Pole, specifically close to the Mellipert a crater to aid NASA in exploring the region in preparation for future astronaut
missions. The strategic location is of great interest due to its proximity to potential resources, and this achievement not only marks Intuitive Machines as the first private entity to successfully land on the moon, but also adds them to the exclusive list of entities, including only five countries that have accomplished this feat. The mission is primarily supported by NASA, with a space agency having invested $118
million in the project now. A notable aspect of the mission was the use of a NASA experiment to guide the Lander during its final approach due to a failure in its navigation system. This adjustment allowed Odysseus to safely complete his journey to the moon's surface. Now the mission faced challenges though, such as the inability to deploy a camera system intended to capture the landing due to the navigational adjustments.
However, efforts are underway to release this camera in the hopes of obtaining images of Odysseus on the moon. Now the uncertainty surrounding the lander's precise landing spot adds a layer of complexity to the mission, emphasizing the importance of securing the images to verify its location
and condition. And the operational lifespan of the Odysseus Lander is expected to be brief, limited to about a week due to the impending lunar night, which poses significant challenges for solar powered missions. Now this mission follows a failed attempt by another company, Astrobotic Technologies, which highlights the apparent risks and the difficulties of lunar exploration. The landing by Intuitive machines though represents a significant achievement in
commercial space exploration. Now this is a historically significant mission as it re establishes the United States presence on the lunar surface after the last human Apollo mission in 1972, setting the stage for NASA's planned Artemis missions coming up Artemis 2 where they will circle around the moon and come back to the Earth, and Artemis 3 when they
will land on the lunar surface. Now the choice of naming the Lander Odysseus draws a parallel with the epic journeys and challenges faced by the mythological figure symbolizing the ambitious natures of this lunar mission. Now, their reliance on NASA's Navigation Doppler Lidar instrument that originally intended as a primary navigation tool shows the adaptability and resourcefulness required in
space mission. Sometimes they have to go off script and do wild things in order to make the mission successful. And the confirmation of a successful landing and the subsequent transmission of data from Odysseus to Earth marked a pivotal moment for intuitive machines showcasing the capabilities of commercial space
ventures. And despite initial communication challenges, the team remains focused on downloading scientific data and images from the Lander, with further updates anticipated in the next few days. Now this is a huge milestone for both Intuitive machines, NASA and the United States, as it demonstrates the viability of commercial partnerships in advancing lunar exploration and prepares the groundwork for future human rated Landers on
the lunar surface of the term. Dynamic Situation aptly describes the last minute adjustments and challenges faced during the landing. This is an unpredictable way to land a lunar Lander, but this is also unpredictable nature of space exploration. The context of this mission includes the ongoing international interest in the Moon. With several companies having conducted lunar missions in the recent years, this renewed focus shows that the Moon is more strategic and important than
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