Odysseus spacecraft set to make 1st US moon landing in 50 years

SP EC TA CU LA R A S N AS A P RE PA RE S T O SPECTACULAR AS NASA PREPARES TO SPECTACULAR AS NASA PREPARES TO SE ND A ST RO NA UT S O N TH E M OO N A ND SEND ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON AND SEND ASTRONAUTS ON THE MOON AND LA ND IN G W IT HI N T HE N EX T F EW LANDING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW LANDING WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DA YS . DAYS. DAYS. NO W C LO SI NG I N O N T HE MO ON , A T NOW CLOSING IN ON THE MOON, AT NOW CLOSING IN ON THE MOON, AT NE AR LY 25 ,0 00 M IL ES P ER HO UR , A NEARLY 25,000 MILES PER HOUR, A NEARLY 25,000 MILES PER HOUR, A 14 -F OO T L AN DE R N AM ED O OD IS YU S. 14-FOOT LANDER NAMED OODISYUS. 14-FOOT LANDER NAMED OODISYUS. TH E LA UN CH , J US T S EV EN D AY S AG O, THE LAUNCH, JUST SEVEN DAYS AGO, THE LAUNCH, JUST SEVEN DAYS AGO, ON A SP AC EX R OC KE T F RO M TH E ON A SPACEX ROCKET FROM THE ON A SPACEX ROCKET FROM THE KE NN ED Y SP AC E CE NT ER . KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER. >> M AC H 1. >> MACH 1. >> MACH 1. >> W IT H S PE CT AC UL AR V IE WS O F >> WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF >> WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF EA RT H A S I T B RO KE F RE E O F EARTH AS IT BROKE FREE OF EARTH AS IT BROKE FREE OF EA RT H’ S G RA VI TA TI ON AL PU LL . EARTH’S GRAVITATIONAL PULL. EARTH’S GRAVITATIONAL PULL. IF T HE M IS SI ON SU CC EE DS , I T W IL L IF THE MISSION SUCCEEDS, IT WILL IF THE MISSION SUCCEEDS, IT WILL BE T HE F IR ST P RI VA TE C OM PA NY T O BE THE FIRST PRIVATE COMPANY TO BE THE FIRST PRIVATE COMPANY TO LA ND O N TH E M OO N A FT ER O TH ER LAND ON THE MOON AFTER OTHER LAND ON THE MOON AFTER OTHER CO MP AN IE S’ R EC EN TL Y AT TE MP T COMPANIES’ RECENTLY ATTEMPT COMPANIES’ RECENTLY ATTEMPT FA IL ED . FAILED. FAILED. >> A ND T HE L UN AR L AN DE R O NB OA RD >> AND THE LUNAR LANDER ONBOARD >> AND THE LUNAR LANDER ONBOARD CO UL D BE T HE F IR ST U .S . M OO N COULD BE THE FIRST U.S. MOON COULD BE THE FIRST U.S. MOON LA ND IN G S IN CE T HE A PO LL O P RO GR AM LANDING SINCE THE APOLLO PROGRAM LANDING SINCE THE APOLLO PROGRAM EN DE D M OR E TH AN 5 0 Y EA RS AG O. ENDED MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO. ENDED MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO. >> R ep or te r: B UT T HE B IG >> Reporter: BUT THE BIG >> Reporter: BUT THE BIG CH AL LE NG E C OM ES L AT ER TO DA Y, CHALLENGE COMES LATER TODAY, CHALLENGE COMES LATER TODAY, LA ND IN G NE AR T HE M OO N’ S LANDING NEAR THE MOON’S LANDING NEAR THE MOON’S FO RB ID DI NG S OU TH PO LE . FORBIDDING SOUTH POLE. FORBIDDING SOUTH POLE. >> T HE RE I S N O G PS A T T HE MO ON , >> THERE IS NO GPS AT THE MOON, >> THERE IS NO GPS AT THE MOON, AT L EA ST N OT TO DA Y, S O W E HA VE AT LEAST NOT TODAY, SO WE HAVE AT LEAST NOT TODAY, SO WE HAVE TO C AR RY O UR OW N NA VI GA TI ON TO CARRY OUR OWN NAVIGATION TO CARRY OUR OWN NAVIGATION SY ST EM ON BO AR D. SYSTEM ONBOARD. SYSTEM ONBOARD. >> T HE L AN DE R I S B UI LT B Y >> THE LANDER IS BUILT BY >> THE LANDER IS BUILT BY HO US TO N- BA SE D IN TO OT IV E HOUSTON-BASED INTOOTIVE HOUSTON-BASED INTOOTIVE MA CH IN ES . MACHINES. MACHINES. AN OT HE R C AM ER A W IL L C AP TU RE T HE ANOTHER CAMERA WILL CAPTURE THE ANOTHER CAMERA WILL CAPTURE THE MI LK Y W AY F RO M TH E MO ON . MILKY WAY FROM THE MOON. MILKY WAY FROM THE MOON. AN D S IX N AS A E XP ER IM EN TS T O AND SIX NASA EXPERIMENTS TO AND SIX NASA EXPERIMENTS TO GA TH ER N EW L UN AR D AT A. GATHER NEW LUNAR DATA. GATHER NEW LUNAR DATA. >> I T’ S PR EP AR IN G U S F OR S EN DI NG >> IT’S PREPARING US FOR SENDING >> IT’S PREPARING US FOR SENDING HU MA NS T O TH E LU NA R SE RV IC E I N HUMANS TO THE LUNAR SERVICE IN HUMANS TO THE LUNAR SERVICE IN AD VA NC E O F TH E A RT EM IS MI SS IO NS . ADVANCE OF THE ARTEMIS MISSIONS. ADVANCE OF THE ARTEMIS MISSIONS. >> R ep or te r: F UT UR E A ST RO NA UT S >> Reporter: FUTURE ASTRONAUTS >> Reporter: FUTURE ASTRONAUTS CO UL D O NE D AY T AP I NT O T HE I CE COULD ONE DAY TAP INTO THE ICE COULD ONE DAY TAP INTO THE ICE WA TE R O N TH E S OU TH PO LE , B UT WATER ON THE SOUTH POLE, BUT WATER ON THE SOUTH POLE, BUT TH IS MI SS IO N’ S T IM EL IN E I S THIS MISSION’S TIMELINE IS THIS MISSION’S TIMELINE IS SH OR T. SHORT. OD YS SU S’ S OL AR P AN EL W IL L L AS T ODYSSUS’ SOLAR PANEL WILL LAST ODYSSUS’ SOLAR PANEL WILL LAST JU ST 1 4 DA YS . JUST 14 DAYS. JUST 14 DAYS. >> O NC E T HE S UN G OE S DO WN , T HE >> ONCE THE SUN GOES DOWN, THE >> ONCE THE SUN GOES DOWN, THE VE HI CL E’ S S YS TE MS W IL L M OS T VEHICLE’S SYSTEMS WILL MOST VEHICLE’S SYSTEMS WILL MOST LI KE LY F RE EZ E A ND T HA T W IL L BE LIKELY FREEZE AND THAT WILL BE LIKELY FREEZE AND THAT WILL BE TH E E ND O F TH E F IR ST MI SS IO N. THE END OF THE FIRST MISSION. THE END OF THE FIRST MISSION. IT W IL L N OT RE TU RN . IT WILL NOT RETURN. IT WILL NOT RETURN. >> R ep or te r: N AS A H AS C ON TR AC TE D >> Reporter: NASA HAS CONTRACTED >> Reporter: NASA HAS CONTRACTED WI TH 1 4 L P RI VA TE C OM PA NI ES T O WITH 14 L PRIVATE COMPANIES TO WITH 14 L PRIVATE COMPANIES TO SE ND E XP ER IM EN TS T O TH E MO ON . SEND EXPERIMENTS TO THE MOON. SEND EXPERIMENTS TO THE MOON. >> W E’ RE O NL Y B EG IN NI NG T O >> WE’RE ONLY BEGINNING TO >> WE’RE ONLY BEGINNING TO UN DE RS TA ND T HE M AT ER IA LS O N TH E UNDERSTAND THE MATERIALS ON THE UNDERSTAND THE MATERIALS ON THE MO ON . MOON. MOON. AN D I T HI NK T HE RE ‘S M AT ER IA LS AND I THINK THERE’S MATERIALS AND I THINK THERE’S MATERIALS TH AT A RE W OR TH SO ME TH IN G, N OT THAT ARE WORTH SOMETHING, NOT THAT ARE WORTH SOMETHING, NOT ON LY F RO M A S CI EN CE A ND ONLY FROM A SCIENCE AND ONLY FROM A SCIENCE AND DI SC OV ER Y ST AN DP OI NT , B UT M AY BE DISCOVERY STANDPOINT, BUT MAYBE DISCOVERY STANDPOINT, BUT MAYBE FR OM A C ON SU ME R G OO DS FROM A CONSUMER GOODS FROM A CONSUMER GOODS ST AN DP OI NT . STANDPOINT. STANDPOINT. >> R ep or te r: A ND T HE RE ‘S >> Reporter: AND THERE’S >> Reporter: AND THERE’S SO ME TH IN G E LS E ON BO AR D. SOMETHING ELSE ONBOARD. SOMETHING ELSE ONBOARD. 12 5 M IN IA TU RE M OO N S CU LP TU RE S 125 MINIATURE MOON SCULPTURES 125 MINIATURE MOON SCULPTURES FR OM T HE A RT IS T J EF F KU NZ , N AM ED FROM THE ARTIST JEFF KUNZ, NAMED FROM THE ARTIST JEFF KUNZ, NAMED AF TE R H IS TO RI CA L F IG UR ES A ND AFTER HISTORICAL FIGURES AND AFTER HISTORICAL FIGURES AND PO TE NT IA LL Y T HE F IR ST A PP RO VE D POTENTIALLY THE FIRST APPROVED POTENTIALLY THE FIRST APPROVED AR T W OR K O N TH E MO ON . ART WORK ON THE MOON. ART WORK ON THE MOON. NO W W IT H J US T H OU RS T O GO , T HE NOW WITH JUST HOURS TO GO, THE NOW WITH JUST HOURS TO GO, THE PR ES SU RE I S B UI LD IN G T O S TI CK PRESSURE IS BUILDING TO STICK PRESSURE IS BUILDING TO STICK TH E LA ND IN G. THE LANDING. THE LANDING. >> TO M, Y OU M EN TI ON ED T HA T >> TOM, YOU MENTIONED THAT >> TOM, YOU MENTIONED THAT AS TR ON AU TS A RE T AL KI NG A BO UT ASTRONAUTS ARE TALKING ABOUT ASTRONAUTS ARE TALKING ABOUT TA PP IN G I NT O T HE W AT ER A T T HE TAPPING INTO THE WATER AT THE TAPPING INTO THE WATER AT THE SO UT H P OL E O F TH E MO ON . SOUTH POLE OF THE MOON. SOUTH POLE OF THE MOON. WH AT W OU LD T HA T M EA N F OR F UT UR E WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR FUTURE WHAT WOULD THAT MEAN FOR FUTURE MI SS IO NS ? MISSIONS? MISSIONS? >> T HI S IS I F N OT T HE H OL Y >> THIS IS IF NOT THE HOLY >> THIS IS IF NOT THE HOLY GR AI L, T HE M OT HE R LO DE . GRAIL, THE MOTHER LODE. GRAIL, THE MOTHER LODE. IF T HE RE ‘S I CE W AT ER A T T HE IF THERE’S ICE WATER AT THE IF THERE’S ICE WATER AT THE SO UT HE RN PO LE , Y OU C OU LD P UR IF Y SOUTHERN POLE, YOU COULD PURIFY SOUTHERN POLE, YOU COULD PURIFY IT, U SE I T A S D RI NK IN G WA TE R, IT, USE IT AS DRINKING WATER, IT, USE IT AS DRINKING WATER, AN D U SE I T A S R OC KE T F UE L T O GO AND USE IT AS ROCKET FUEL TO GO AND USE IT AS ROCKET FUEL TO GO ON T O MA RS . ON TO MARS. ON TO MARS. TH AT ‘S A B IG OB JE CT IV E. THAT’S A BIG OBJECTIVE. THAT’S A BIG OBJECTIVE. IT ‘S N OT J US T AM ER IC A’ S IT’S NOT JUST AMERICA’S IT’S NOT JUST AMERICA’S OB JE CT IV E. OBJECTIVE. OBJECTIVE. CH IN A I S AL SO H OP IN G TO L AN D IT S CHINA IS ALSO HOPING TO LAND ITS CHINA IS ALSO HOPING TO LAND ITS AS TR ON AU TS O N TH E S OU TH P OL E O F ASTRONAUTS ON THE SOUTH POLE OF ASTRONAUTS ON THE SOUTH POLE OF TH E MO ON , P RO BA BL Y B Y T HE E ND O F THE MOON, PROBABLY BY THE END OF THE MOON, PROBABLY BY THE END OF TH E DE CA DE . THE DECADE. THE DECADE. SO I T’ S N OT J US T N AS A A ND AL SO , SO IT’S NOT JUST NASA AND ALSO, SO IT’S NOT JUST NASA AND ALSO, YO U KN OW , O TH ER P RI VA TE YOU KNOW, OTHER PRIVATE YOU KNOW, OTHER PRIVATE CO MP AN IE S, W E’ VE