A private company on Wednesday launched a new lunar module with the aim of approaching the South Pole of the Moon, this time with a drone that will go to a crater that never receives sunlight.
Spacex launched the module Intuitive machinesby name Athenafrom the Kennedy Space Center of the POT. The ship will take the short path to the moon – with a moon landing date for March 6— hoping not to have the same final of his predecessor, which overturned when touching the surface of the moon.
There had never been so many space vehicles before the lunar surface at the same time. Last month, companies from the United States and Japan shared a rocket and launched modules to the earth’s satellite. The Firefly Aerospace company, based in Texas, should be the first to arrive this weekend.
The two American modules with them They carry tens of millions of dollars in NASA experiments, which prepares to send astronauts back to the moon.
“It’s an incredible moment. There is so much energy “commented Nicky Fox, head of NASA’s scientific mission, to The Associated Press.
It is not the first attempt to Intuitive machines to reach the lunar surface. Last year, The Texas company achieved the first American to more than 50 years. But an instrument that measures the distance suffered a damage and the module reached the surface with too much force, breaking a leg and staying aside.
Intuitive Machines said that this problem and dozens of others have solved. A watership of the side, such as the last time, would prevent the drone and a couple of probes from moving. NASA’s drill also needs a vertical landing to pierce the lunar surface and collect samples for analysis.
“Without a doubt, we will be better than the last time. But you never know what could happen “Said Trent Martin, vice president of space systems.
It is an extraordinarily exclusive club. Only five countries have achieved a moon landing in history: Russia, the United States, China, India and Japan. The moon is full of remains of several previous failures.
The Athena, 15 feet, aims to alunize 100 miles from the South Lunar Pole. Only 0.25 miles is the crater that is the final destination for the drone, called Grace in honor of the deceased pioneer of Grace Hopper computer program.
The drone will make three test jumps increasingly height and distance through the lunar surface using propellants fed by hydrazine for flight and cameras and lasers for navigation.
If these excursions go well, it will jump into the crater, which is believed to be 65 feet deep. Scientific instruments of Hungary and Germany will take measurements in the background while looking for frozen water.
It will be the first close look inside one of the many shadow craters that splashed the north and southern poles of the moon. Scientists suspect that these craters are full of tons of ice. If necessary, future explorers could transform this ice into drinking water, breathing air and even rocket fuel.