Almost nine days after the start of Odysseus' mission, it has successfully landed on the Moon, with the latest update from NASA and Intuitive Machines confirming the historical event for humankind's return to the natural satellite. This is the first landing by the United States on the lunar surface since the last mission in 1972, best known as the Apollo 17 venture.
For over 50 years since the last US Moon mission, the country has prepared for its fated return, soon to bring a new team of astronauts, including the first woman to the lunar rock.
Odysseus Moon Landing: What Happened Since 1972?
(Photo : Intuitive Machines)
Intuitive Machines and NASA recently shared the successful landing of Odysseus, and this marks the return of the United States to the lunar satellite after more than 50 years since the last mission. In 1972, the Apollo 17 mission was recorded to be the last crewed mission to venture to the Moon which launched on December 7, 1972, and reached the lunar surface four days later on December 11.
The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian said that the reason behind the Apollo 18 and 19 missions' shutdown was to save money and allocate it to other NASA programs at the time.
Notably, the focus was on NASA's Space Shuttle program, consisting of multiple spacecraft offering partial reusability for low-Earth orbit (LEO) flights that first started in 1981.
Apollo's legacy did not end, especially with NASA's plan to return to the Moon under the Artemis mission, using the name of the Greek goddess known for being the twin sibling of the god of the Sun. In 2022, on Apollo's 50th anniversary, the Artemis I mission made a splash in the Pacific, said to be a commemoration of the famed Apollo 17 mission.
Odysseus would not be here if it were not for the Apollo missions, with the last being the Apollo 17 mission.
This brought astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander; Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot to the Moon. It consisted of the CM (command module) and LM (lunar module) which separated on orbit, with one astronaut, Schmitt, staying on the LM in orbit, with Cernan and Evans going on the CM to land on the lunar surface.
Apollo 1 started in 1967 but its astronauts met a terrible fate from a flash fire. It was not until 1969 that the US saw a successful landing on the Moon with Apollo 11, featuring Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins.
United States and NASA's Moon Mission
While it was almost half a century's wait before significant ventures were launched for the United States and NASA's return to the Moon, the space agency is no longer alone in its quest to make history again.
The Space Launch System (SLS) is known for being a collaboration from NASA, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing, alongside the Orion spacecraft which was made by Lockheed Martin.
Artemis may be NASA's main program, it supports other Moon missions from private space companies, with the most recent one from Houston's Intuitive Machines, one that made history with its successful lunar landing, marking the US' return to the Moon.
