New York: The US-made spacecraft, Odysseus, has landed on the moon for the first time in more than 50 years, but it is lying on its side, according to NASA and Intuitive Machines, the firm that designed and operated the lander.
The lander reached the lunar surface on Thursday at 6.23 pm ET, in the south-polar region near the crater Malapert A. However, it took some time before the lander’s communication systems could send a signal back to the flight controllers.
Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said that Odysseus “caught a foot in the surface and tipped” as it landed, causing it to tilt over.
Despite this, Altemus said that the lander is “near or at our intended landing site”. NASA and Intuitive Machines have been getting data from the lander and think that most scientific instruments are still functional.
Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said that Odysseus “caught a foot in the surface and tipped” as it landed, causing it to tilt over.
Despite this, Altemus said that the lander is “near or at our intended landing site”. NASA and Intuitive Machines have been getting data from the lander and think that most scientific instruments are still functional.
“It really was a magical, magical day,” Tim Crain, the chief technology officer and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, said at a press conference on Friday.
The landing site was selected because it is believed to have frozen water that could support a future permanent lunar base. The site is also very challenging, with many craters on the surface.
Since Odysseus’s position on the moon is still unclear, “getting that final picture of the lander on the surface is still an incredibly important task for us,” Henderson said to Associated Press.
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