First Private Moon Lander Successfully Lands but Tips Over; NASA Confirms Spacecraft Still 'Alive and Well'

NASA confirmed that the first privately owned mooncraft, Odysseus, has tilted over but remains operational. Initially thought to stand, updates revealed it lies on the lunar surface due to a caught leg.

The incident occurred after a confirmed soft landing, raising questions about the accuracy of earlier data. Intuitive Machines clarified they were not intentionally misleading but relied on outdated telemetry in their previous statements.

Odysseus Facing Challenges After Landing on the Moon

The private spacecraft, Odysseus, made a historic landing in the moon's south pole region, marking the first soft landing by a U.S. vehicle since Apollo 17 in 1972. Despite the successful landing, Odysseus encountered challenges as it ended up on its side, potentially breaking one of its six legs during the landing. The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines, maintained operational capability despite the unexpected orientation.

Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, acknowledged the less-than-ideal landing during a NASA news conference, highlighting the spacecraft's stability near the intended landing site.

However, due to the spacecraft's tilted position, its antennas were not directly pointed at Earth, restricting data transmission. This limitation raises concerns about the flow of information between Earth and the lunar craft.

Odysseus, valued at $118 million, had not transmitted photographs since landing, and engineers were working to gather more information from the spacecraft. While the descent to the lunar surface was shadowed and undulating, the exact location of Odysseus remained uncertain. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter from NASA was enlisted to determine the spacecraft's location.

The mission faced unforeseen glitches, including inaccuracies in the trajectory that led to Odysseus being in an elliptical orbit instead of the intended circular orbit. A last-minute engine burn was executed to improve the orbit.

An additional challenge emerged when laser range finders, designed to measure altitude during landing, revealed that one laser had not fired due to safety switches being enabled during space travel. Despite these hurdles, the mission was salvaged through serendipity and dedicated efforts by the mission control team.

Backup System Saves the Day in Historic Lunar Landing

Following issues with the laser range finders on the Odysseus spacecraft, CEO Steve Altemus and CTO Tim Crain from Intuitive Machines faced a potential setback. However, they discovered a backup instrument on board, the Navigation Doppler Lidar, which could provide essential readings.

The team quickly patched the spacecraft's software to enable this backup, averting a potential crash due to the disabled laser altimeter. Despite challenges, the improvised navigation software worked, resulting in a successful but slightly off-course landing.

Now, the engineers are expediting communications with Odysseus to assess its capabilities and the tasks it can perform. This includes evaluating the potential deployment of a camera built by students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Odysseus mission is expected to conclude within a week due to the sun moving beyond the spacecraft's solar arrays.

While the spacecraft is not designed for the lunar night's frigid temperatures, there's optimism that it might revive when the sun rises again, contingent on the survival of its electronics.

The mission, initially facing challenges, has demonstrated adaptability and resilience, overcoming obstacles to achieve a historic lunar landing and offering prospects for further scientific exploration.

Check out more news and information on Moon Landing in Science Times.