Odysseus achieves the first US Moon landing since 1972

The mission, officially known as IM-1, is carrying scientific cargo to help NASA learn more about the Moon’s surface before NASA’s Artemis program brings people back to the Moon in 2025. It brings a laser retroreflector array to help other spacecraft make precision landings and a radio navigation beacon to provide geolocation data to landers, rovers, and eventually astronauts. 

Odysseus is the first privately owned spacecraft to achieve its goal after the Astrobotic Peregrine lander, launched by United Launch Alliance last month, failed to reach the Moon.

Update February 22nd, 6:54PM ET: Updated to note Odysseus has reached the Moon’s surface.