"Private US Moon Lander Nears Historic Landing Attempt"

The Odysseus lunar lander successfully entered a 57-mile-high orbit around the moon, paving the way for a historic landing attempt on Thursday near the moon's south pole. If successful, it would be the first U.S. spacecraft landing on the moon in over 50 years. The privately-built lander, funded in part by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, is carrying payloads from both NASA and commercial customers, aiming to study the lunar environment and test new technology. This mission is part of NASA's efforts to encourage private industry to develop transportation capabilities for lunar exploration.