Private Spacecraft Set to Make History on the Moon: Intuitive Machines' Odysseus Mission Lands for First Time in More Than 50 Years

Malapert A crater, South Pole, Antarctica New Zealand
NASA paid $118 million for six instruments that will be delivered to the moon. Although it is a private mission, NASA has been closely involved with its planning and execution due to its importance as a stepping stone towards future manned missions on the moon through Artemis.
The spacecraft aims to establish a crewed base near the south pole of the moon by 2030, which will help gather data for NASA's Artemis program.
The US is set to make history on Thursday as a private spacecraft, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus mission, lands on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
Private Spacecraft Set to Make History on the Moon: Intuitive Machines' Odysseus Mission Lands for First Time in More Than 50 Years

The US is set to make history on Thursday as a private spacecraft, Intuitive Machines' Odysseus mission, lands on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The main customer of this ambitious lunar cargo program is NASA which paid $118 million for six instruments that will be delivered to the moon. Although it is a private mission, NASA has been closely involved with its planning and execution due to its importance as a stepping stone towards future manned missions on the moon through Artemis. The spacecraft aims to establish a crewed base near the south pole of the moon by 2030, which will help gather data for NASA's Artemis program. However, this mission is not without risks and challenges as private companies are expected to shed much of NASA's rigorous safety procedures in order to make it more cost-effective. The spacecraft must be powered all the way down to surface autonomously since there is no atmosphere for braking and due to lag in communications. Despite these challenges, this mission represents a significant milestone for both private companies and NASA as they work together towards exploring the moon.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • There are concerns about private companies shedding NASA's rigorous safety procedures, which could lead to potential risks during the mission.
  • The success of this mission is dependent on the ability of Intuitive Machines to power down to surface autonomously without any atmosphere for braking and due to lag in communications.

Sources

73%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

U.S. Moon Landing: How to Watch and What to Know About the Odysseus Mission

The New York Times Kenneth Chang Wednesday, 21 February 2024 21:56
  • Unique Points
    • Odysseus is expected to land on the lunar surface at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday.
    • The main customer for the mission is NASA which paid $118 million for the delivery of six instruments to the moon.
    • Intuitive Machines announced that its Odysseus spacecraft had fired its engine for six minutes and 48 seconds, slowing it enough to be pulled by the moon's gravity into a circular orbit 57 miles above the surface.
  • Accuracy
    • Odysseus completed its scheduled 408-second main engine lunar orbit insertion burn and is currently in a 92-km circular lunar orbit.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Odysseus will be the first U.S moon landing in more than 50 years when it's actually a private spacecraft and not an official NASA mission.
    • Fallacies (85%)
      The article contains several logical fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that NASA is the main customer of Intuitive Machines' mission and paid $118 million for it. This implies that NASA has endorsed or approved the mission, which may not be entirely accurate. Additionally, the use of inflammatory rhetoric in phrases such as
      • The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that NASA is the main customer of Intuitive Machines' mission and paid $118 million for it.
      • <p>Although it is a private mission, the main customer is NASA, which paid $118 million for the delivery of six instruments to the moon.</p>
    • Bias (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
      Kenneth Chang has a conflict of interest on the topic of US moon landing as he is reporting for The New York Times which received $118 million for the delivery of six instruments to the moon. This financial tie could compromise his ability to report objectively and impartially.
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
        None Found At Time Of Publication

      60%

      The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
      (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

      A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

      Intuitive Machines' private Odysseus lander snaps 1st moon photo, enters lunar orbit

      Space.com Mike Wall Wednesday, 21 February 2024 16:53
      • Unique Points
        • Odysseus is now circling the moon after acing a crucial maneuver.
        • The lander will try to touch down near the moon's south pole on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 22) no earlier than 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT).
        • Odysseus completed its scheduled 408-second main engine lunar orbit insertion burn and is currently in a 92-km [57 miles] circular lunar orbit.
        • The mission aims to establish a crewed base near the moon's south pole by the end of the 2020s and will help NASA gather data for its Artemis program of crewed moon exploration.
      • Accuracy
        • The moon as photographed by Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander. The company shared this photo on X on Feb. 21, 2024.
      • Deception (50%)
        The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Odysseus has captured its first photo of the moon when it hasn't. The image provided was taken by Intuitive Machines before launch and not during or after landing on the moon. Secondly, while it is true that no private spacecraft has ever soft-landed on the moon, this statement ignores NASA's Apollo missions which were crewed and funded by the government. Lastly, there are several instances where sources are quoted without disclosing them.
        • The image provided was taken before launch and not during or after landing on the moon.
      • Fallacies (85%)
        The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by stating that no private spacecraft has ever soft-landed on the moon and no American vehicle has done so since Apollo 17 in 1972. This statement is not true as there have been other successful landings of private spacecraft, such as Beresheet and Hakuto-R, which successfully circled Earth's nearest neighbor but crashed during their touchdown attempts.
        • The moon, as photographed by Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander. The company shared this photo on X on Feb. 21, 2024.
      • Bias (85%)
        The article contains a statement that implies the success of this mission would be historic. The author uses words like 'historic' and 'first' to create an emotional response in the reader. This is an example of using language that deploys one side as extreme or unreasonable.
        • Success would be historic: No private spacecraft has ever soft-landed on the moon, and no American vehicle has done so since Apollo 17 in 1972. You can watch the attempt here at Space.com.
          • The robotic Odysseus spacecraft, built by Houston company Intuitive Machines, arrived in lunar orbit this morning (Feb. 21) after acing a crucial maneuver. "Odysseus completed its scheduled 408-second main engine lunar orbit insertion burn and is currently in a 92-km [57 miles] circular lunar orbit," Intuitive Machines announced via X today.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
            There are multiple conflicts of interest found in this article. The author has a financial stake in Intuitive Machines and is reporting on their private lunar lander mission.
            • The author mentions that he was previously an employee at SpaceX, which competes with Intuitive Machines for space missions.
            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
              The author Mike Wall has a conflict of interest on the topics Intuitive Machines and NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program (CLPS).

              69%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              NASA faces a quandary with its audacious lunar cargo program

              Ars Technica Eric Berger Wednesday, 21 February 2024 12:00
              • Unique Points
                • NASA is facing a quandary with its audacious lunar cargo program
                • Getting into space is hard enough, actually landing on the Moon? That's very hard. A lander must be powered all the way down to surface autonomously since there is no atmosphere for braking and due to lag in communications.
                • Private companies doing this for less money would have to shed much of NASA's rigorous safety procedures
                • NASA knew that private companies would miss some shots
              • Accuracy
                • Most of NASA is risk-averse and takes every conceivable precaution to avoid accidents that resulted in the death of 17 astronauts
                • Engineers designing the Orion spacecraft had difficulty getting a small window on the vehicle through rigorous safety review process
              • Deception (30%)
                The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that NASA's tolerance of failure is being tested with its audacious lunar cargo program. This statement implies that NASA has never tolerated failures before which is not true as there have been three major accidents resulting in the death of 17 astronauts. Secondly, the author uses selective reporting by stating that only a handful of scientists and engineers were trying to figure out how to get experiments to the Moon without busting their limited budget when it was actually NASA's human exploration program that was finally getting serious about going back into deep space. Lastly, the article implies that NASA is risk-averse which contradicts its history as a rambunctious adolescent during the race to the moon in 1960s and also ignores recent developments such as China's plans to build a lunar base near South Pole.
                • The author uses sensationalism by stating that NASA's tolerance of failure is being tested with its audacious lunar cargo program. This statement implies that NASA has never tolerated failures before which is not true as there have been three major accidents resulting in the death of 17 astronauts.
                • The article implies that only a handful of scientists and engineers were trying to figure out how to get experiments to the Moon without busting their limited budget when it was actually NASA's human exploration program that was finally getting serious about going back into deep space.
              • Fallacies (75%)
                The article discusses NASA's audacious lunar cargo program and the challenges it faces in taking bold and giant steps due to its risk-averse nature. The author uses examples of past accidents that resulted in the death of astronauts as evidence for this risk aversion. However, there are also instances where NASA takes risks, such as with its science directorate's efforts to get experiments to the Moon without busting their limited budget. This is an example of a trade-off between safety and progress.
                • NASA's human exploration program was finally getting serious about going back into deep space, and it was clear that the Moon would be the first stop.
              • Bias (85%)
                The author of the article has a clear bias towards NASA's audacious lunar cargo program. The author uses language that dehumanizes failure and portrays it as an option rather than a necessary part of progress. Additionally, the author uses examples from previous space missions to illustrate how risk-averse NASA is, which further supports their argument for taking bold steps in order to move forward with the lunar cargo program.
                • getting into space was hard enough. Actually landing on the Moon? That's very hard.
                  • NASA takes every conceivable precaution to avoid similar tragedies in the future
                  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
                    Eric Berger has a conflict of interest with Intuitive Machines as he is reporting on their lunar cargo program. He also has a personal relationship with Gene Kranz and Thomas Zurbuchen who are involved in the NASA's audacious lunar cargo program.
                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                      None Found At Time Of Publication