Odyssey spacecraft beams back breathtaking selfies with the Earth

It’s not just humans (or occasionally animals) who take selfies – it’s spacecraft and rovers, too. Intuitive Machine’s robotic Odysseus spacecraft (aka Odie) recently beamed home its very first selfies from space. After a successful launch, Odie sent back its stunning first photos from space, showing itself and our beautiful blue planet behind it.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Intuitive Machines wrote Odie had “successfully transmitted its first IM-1 mission images to Earth on February 16, 2024.” It took these cosmic selfies shortly after separation from SpaceX’s second stage.

Intuitive Machines successfully transmitted its first IM-1 mission images to Earth on February 16, 2024. The images were captured shortly after separation from @SpaceX's second stage on Intuitive Machines’ first journey to the Moon under @NASA's CLPS initiative. pic.twitter.com/9LccL6q5tF

— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 17, 2024

Odie snapped hundreds of photos during its first two hours of space travel. Kinda like I do when my plane takes off, and I see all those surreal scenes of miniature landscapes and cityscapes below me. But out of this treasure trove, Intuitive Machines carefully curated four images to share with the world. “Out of all the images collected, Intuitive Machines chose to show humanity’s place in the universe with four wonderful images we hope to inspire the next generation of risk-takers,” the company wrote in a statement.

The purpose of the Odysseus spacecraft

Of course, Odie’s not just posing for pretty pictures. The spacecraft is headed towards the moon to explore its surface. If the mission continues to go as planned, it will land on February 22. NASA sponsored Intuitive Machines’ mission, paying around $118 million, to deliver its payload to the moon. The success of the mission could potentially jumpstart the lunar economy before future crewed missions, something that NASA hopes for. The space agency also has plans to land astronauts on the moon later in this decade.

What makes Odie special?

Assuming the mission’s success, Odie will be the first private spacecraft to conduct a successful lunar landing. So far, it’s only been possible through government-funded programs. So far, Russia, China, India, the United States, and Japan have performed successful lunar landings.

Then, Odie’s landing site near the moon’s south pole is a treasure trove of scientific goodies. They include cliffs, craters, and potentially even frozen water. And as I already mentioned, Odie’s mission paves the way for a thriving lunar economy, supporting future crewed missions.

So, if it makes it, Odie can be quite a useful little spacecraft. Let’s cheer for it while we enjoy the photos it took and eagerly wait for more!

[via Popular Science]