Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus lander is targeting a crater close to the south pole of the moon. Here is the reason.

 An area close to the Malapert A crater on the moon presents a chance to enhance risk management for upcoming lunar missions.

Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus mission is set to make a historic lunar landing near the moon’s south pole this week. The mission, known as IM-1, involves the Nova-C lunar lander, which was built by Intuitive Machines and launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 15. If successful, this will be the first private company to reach the moon and the first American soft lunar landing in over 50 years.

The landing is scheduled for Thursday (Feb. 22) at 5:49 p.m. EST in a region close to the lunar south pole. Odysseus will be carrying six NASA instruments and will attempt its historic landing near Malapert A, a small impact crater located about 190 miles (300 kilometers) from the moon’s south pole.

This location was chosen as it is a relatively flat and safe region within the heavily cratered southern highlands, visible from Earth. Initially, the spacecraft was planned to land in Oceanus Procellarum, but the new landing site was selected for safety reasons.

NASA officials stated that the choice to relocate from the initial landing spot in Oceanus Procellarum was driven by the necessity to gain further insights into the terrain and communication capabilities close to the lunar south pole, which is anticipated to serve as a prime site for a continuous human presence on the moon.

Moreover, touching down near Malapert A will provide valuable information for mission strategists on how to effectively transmit data and communicate with Earth from a position that is situated at a low point on the lunar horizon.

Hence, choosing to land in the vicinity of the Malapert A crater provides Odysseus with the chance to enhance risk management for upcoming Artemis missions and collect valuable data on the lunar environment across the area.

The IM-1 mission, conducted as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, is focused on showcasing the landing capabilities of lunar spacecraft and conducting a thorough assessment of the region for future missions.

This marks the second landing attempt by a private lander in support of the CLPS initiative. The initial endeavor was cut short due to a propulsion anomaly experienced by Astrobotic’s Peregrine, causing it to plummet back to Earth and resulting in the loss of all its payloads.

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