An attempt at the closest ever landing to the Moon's south pole will take place a little later this morning, at NZT 10.30am. 

Robotic spacecraft Odysseus will attempt to be the closest US vehicle ever to the moon's South Pole, and the first privately built spacecraft to land in one piece. 

Private Japanese, U.S, and Israeli crafts have already failed at the feat. 

U.S Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking that the landing is no easy task. 

He says the craft has to slow down from more than six-thousand kilometres per hour to one metre per second for a successful touch down. 

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