The Odysseus lander, the spacecraft that aims to make a historic landing on the moon on Thursday, is about the size of a British phone booth with legs, according to the company that made it.
Intuitive Machines is prepared to land the spacecraft near the Moon's south pole, an area of great interest in the space race. This region is suspected to harbor water ice that could one day become drinking water for astronauts, or even rocket fuel. The south pole is also the same lunar region where NASA seeks to land astronauts later this decade.
What's on board: The lander, nicknamed “Odie,” will be equipped with six NASA payloads: a series of scientific instruments designed to test new technologies or evaluate the lunar environment, such as a study of how the Moon's soil behaves during the landing.
Also on board will be commemorative items, including a sculpture depicting moon phases designed in consultation with Jeff Koons, and technology from private sector companies, including Columbia Sportswear, which developed insulating material for the lander.
If all goes according to plan, Odysseus will spend seven days operating on the moon while the lunar lander basks in the sun. But as the landing zone moves deeper into Earth's shadow, experiencing the lunar night, the spacecraft will be put to sleep.
