U.S. and Japan spearhead new era of private moon landings

Japan's ispace looks to replicate Intuitive Machines' successful lunar landing

Flight controllers at Intuitive Machines react to its spacecraft touching down on the moon on Feb. 22. © AP

SATOSHI KAWAHARA and RYOSUKE HANAFUSA, Nikkei staff writers

February 24, 2024 03:49 JST

TOKYO/HOUSTON, Texas. -- A U.S. startup has become the first private-sector company to land a spacecraft on the moon, ushering in a brave new world for the fast-growing space development industry.

Intuitive Machines, a Texas-based company, developed the Odysseus lander that touched down on the moon on Thursday. Rockets made by Elon Musk's SpaceX carried the Odysseus to its destination, where the lander is expected to remain operational for seven days.