The Intelligence: I’m your private lander, a lander for money
Feb 21, 2024
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Join Tom Standage, Deputy Editor at The Economist, and Sarah Larniuk, Senior Producer for The Intelligence, as they dive into the exciting world of lunar exploration and the challenges faced by private lander missions. They discuss the ramifications of a potential soft landing by Odysseus and the dynamics of the renewed space race. Additionally, Sarah offers insights from Ukraine, reflecting on the anniversary of the Revolution of Dignity and the resilience shown through its history. The conversation also touches on the evolution of British obituaries, blending humor and remembrance.
Private firm's successful soft landing of Odysseus could revolutionize lunar exploration.
Growing competition in lunar exploration driven by reduced costs and increased accessibility for private firms.
Deep dives
Private lunar lander attempts to make history
The private American firm Intuitive Machines has launched a two-ton lunar lander called Odysseus in an attempt to make a soft landing on the moon's surface. If successful, it would be the first soft landing by a private company and the first by an American-made spacecraft in five decades.
Testing NASA's new approach to lunar missions
NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLIPS) program aims to lower the cost and increase the speed of lunar missions by working with private companies. Odysseus, the mission launched by Intuitive Machines, is one of the CLIPS missions. It carries six payloads from NASA and six from private companies, conducting various experiments and tests to prepare for future lunar missions.
The race to explore the moon
There is a growing international interest and competition in lunar exploration, with countries like China, private companies, and NASA vying to put people back on the moon. The reduced cost of space launches, thanks to reusable rockets, has made it more accessible for various actors to undertake lunar missions. The success of private lunar landers like Odysseus could pave the way for more innovative and cost-effective space exploration in the future.
If it succeeds—and that is no sure thing—this week’s soft landing of Odysseus will be the first by a private firm. We examine the prospects and the business models of the Moon rush. Our producer visits Ukraine to mark the anniversary of a revolution that helped to shape today’s conflict (11:22). And the rise and coming fall in entertaining British obituaries (21:25).
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