What Happened: U.S. company SpaceX successfully launched Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Reuters reported on Feb. 15. The Nova-C lunar lander is expected to attempt its soft landing on the lunar south pole on Feb. 22.
Why It Matters: The IM-1 mission aims to be the first U.S. moon landing mission since 1972 and the first by a privately owned spacecraft, not NASA. The mission is a significant step in the United States’ overall attempt to return to the moon, as NASA will be relying on companies like SpaceX and Intuitive Machines to carry out payload delivery missions in parallel with NASA’s own manned missions. The location of the target landing on the lunar surface is also significant, as the IM-1 mission is attempting to become just the second to land near the lunar south pole following India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission in 2023. The lunar south pole is highly strategic due to the presence of ice that could be used as a resource for future lunar missions, such as lunar outposts.
Background: Three days before India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission landed on the moon, Russian space agency Roscosmos’ Luna-25 lander crashed into the moon following an improper thrust burn while moving into lunar orbit. The Soviet Union, the United States, and China have successfully performed soft landings on the moon, though not near the lunar south pole.
The article originally appeared on Worldview.