"Private U.S. Moon Lander Odysseus Makes Historic Touchdown Near Moon's South Pole"

Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander successfully landed on the moon near a crater known as Malapert A, marking the first U.S.-built spacecraft to do so in over 50 years and the first by a private company. The final descent was delayed by one orbit due to a navigation sensor malfunction and required experimental NASA sensors for navigation data. Communications with the lander were briefly lost after landing, but a faint signal confirmed the survival of the spacecraft. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised Intuitive Machines, SpaceX, and NASA's commercial moon program for the successful mission, calling it a "triumph" and a significant achievement for humanity. Post-landing assessments of the spacecraft and its payloads awaited the analysis of telemetry data. Odysseus's historic descent included the use of on-board cameras, lasers, and navigation sensors to fine-tune its trajectory during the fall towards the lunar surface. The successful landing was the first by a U.S.-built spacecraft since Apollo 17 in 1972 and the first by a privately-built spacecraft. Odysseus carried NASA instruments, commercial payloads, and innovative technologies aimed at studying the lunar environment and testing new technologies for future space missions. The lander and its instruments are expected to operate on the lunar surface for about a week before shutting down when the sun sets at the landing site. Odysseus was funded in part by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program to promote private industry involvement in space transportation capabilities. A Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched a robotic lander to the moon, marking the first American spacecraft to reach the lunar surface in over 50 years. This launch was SpaceX's second of the day, following the deployment of six U.S. Space Force satellites and a Russian space station cargo ship. The commercial lander, named Odysseus, is powered by a high-power 3D-printed main engine burning liquid oxygen and methane propellants, a first for deep space missions. The lander also carries various NASA experiments and commercial payloads, including sculptures, cloud storage technology, insulation blankets, and a student-built camera package to photograph its descent. A new sensor onboard will use radio waves to determine remaining cryogenic propellant in space, useful for future missions. Odysseus is designed to operate for about a week on the moon before the lunar night sets in, as it is not built to withstand extreme low temperatures. The launch mission is partially funded by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, aimed at encouraging private industry to develop transportation capabilities for lunar payloads. Overall, NASA spent around $108 million for the previous mission with Astrobotic and $129 million for the Odysseus mission, including instrument provision and transportation costs. The success of commercial missions like Odysseus enables more frequent lunar expeditions, with the goal of supporting Artemis astronauts planning to land near the moon's south pole in the coming years. The lunar lander Odysseus, also known as Odie, is set to be put "to sleep" in the hopes of waking it back up in a few weeks by Intuitive Machines. Despite initially having about 10-20 hours left, Odysseus continued to generate solar power on the moon on Wednesday. Intuitive Machines plans to 'tuck Odie in for the cold night of the moon' and try to wake it back up once the lunar night ends in about three weeks. If Odysseus doesn't receive illumination on its solar panel, it will lose energy, and the plan is to ping it with an antenna to wake it back up. Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus mentioned the possibility of another opportunity to gather additional data in a few weeks, with no definitive plan for saying goodbye to Odie yet. The main challenge in waking up Odysseus lies in the batteries, which may not respond well to cold conditions, potentially hindering power reception from the solar panel. Despite a challenging landing that resulted in tipping over and a broken landing gear, Odysseus has been able to send back pictures and data, including over 15 megabytes of information. According to NASA's Sue Lederer, Odysseus has exceeded expectations in terms of data returns, contributing to what is considered a successful mission. The mission is seen as a milestone that changes the economics of landing on the moon and paves the way for a future cislunar economy. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has located the Odysseus lander on the moon's surface near the south pole. The lander was identified to have landed within a mile of its intended site near the Malapert A landing site. Photos captured by the lander during its descent and after landing were posted by Intuitive Machines, the lander's builder. Odysseus sent images of its vertical descent and landing site to its Malapert A landing location, marking the southernmost landing site on the moon to establish communication with ground controllers. The Odysseus lander touched down at 80.13 degrees south latitude and 1.44 degrees east longitude at an elevation of 1.6 miles. The lander was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, successfully becoming the first privately built spacecraft to land on the moon in over 50 years. Despite the successful landing, the lander tipped over on its side due to one landing leg possibly getting caught on a rock or in a crevice. Communication with Odysseus has been slower than expected, with the spacecraft facing limited days of sunlight before losing its ability to generate solar power. Japan's SLIM lunar lander, which also tipped over upon landing, was reported to have survived the lunar night and reestablished communication with flight controllers. SLIM's navigation camera captured images of the surrounding landscape, showing its successful continuation after surviving the lunar night. In other space news, a Pentagon report on UFOs, Jupiter's moon Europa's oxygen production, Crew Dragon's space station mission, SpaceX's satellite launches, and NASA astronauts' journey to the ISS were highlighted. Odysseus lunar lander fired its main engine for 6 minutes and 48 seconds, putting it into a 57-mile-high orbit around the moon. The spacecraft is set for a landing attempt near a crater known as Malapert A, 186 miles from the moon's south pole. Main engine performance verified through a 21-second test last Friday, working as designed with methane-oxygen propulsion system. Two trajectory correction maneuvers fine-tuned Odysseus' path to the moon, eliminating the need for a third planned adjustment. Flight controllers at Intuitive Machines's Nova Control Center in Houston are preparing for Odysseus's historic descent to the surface on Thursday. Main engine will be crucial in dropping Odysseus out of orbit for a gentle touchdown. Spacecraft carrying six NASA payloads and six commercial customer payloads for lunar environment study and technology testing. Private moon landers by Intuitive Machines and Astrobotics funded partly by NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. NASA's goal is to encourage private industry development for transportation capabilities to the moon and collect data for Artemis lunar missions. Odysseus marks the first moon landing attempt by a privately-built non-government spacecraft in over 50 years. Flight controllers expect to confirm touchdown within about 15 seconds of the landing and receive first imagery from the moon half an hour later. SpaceX delayed the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a robotic moon lander due to unusual temperature readings before loading liquid methane fuel. The launch is rescheduled for Thursday, with a backup opportunity on Friday. The Odysseus lander is set to land near the moon's south pole on Feb. 22. The lander has a high-power 3D-printed main engine burning liquid oxygen and methane propellants. SpaceX conducted modifications to cool and route cryogenic propellants into the rocket and lander's tanks. The Odysseus lander is built by Intuitive Machines and will carry NASA instruments and commercial payloads. The flight controllers in Houston will be responsible for maneuvering the lander into lunar orbit and down to the surface. After landing, the lander will operate for about a week before the lunar night sets in. The mission aims to demonstrate innovative techniques, including using radio waves to accurately determine propellant levels in space. Odysseus is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, encouraging private industry to develop transportation capabilities. Lessons learned from previous missions will inform future developments of commercial lunar landers. Intuitive Machines hopes to achieve a successful moon landing following previous failed attempts by other commercial missions. NASA invested about $129 million for the Odysseus instruments and transportation to the moon. Intuitive Machines' moon lander, Odysseus, landed faster than expected and tipped over onto its side upon touchdown on the lunar surface. The spacecraft may be resting on a rock or tilted on sloping terrain, making it challenging for engineers to orient it correctly. Despite the tip-over, Odysseus is still able to function and send engineering and science data back to Earth. Intuitive Machines is in the process of downloading data to clarify the spacecraft's orientation with the hope of sharing surface photos soon. Odysseus is facing power generation challenges as the sun will soon drop below the horizon at the landing site, ending power generation by the solar cells. NASA praised Intuitive Machines for achieving the first successful soft landing on the moon by the United States since 1972 and being the first non-government commercial organization to successfully land on the moon. Odysseus had a successful landing at 80 degrees south latitude, closer to the moon's south pole than previous U.S. robotic or human explorers. President Joe Biden congratulated NASA and the Intuitive Machines team on this milestone achievement and emphasized the importance of teamwork in overcoming challenges. Odysseus was partly funded by NASA's Commercial Lunar Services Payloads program and carried six payloads to the moon. The spacecraft was launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and had a successful orbit around the moon before landing, with some navigational challenges addressed using NASA technology. The unexpected lateral velocity during landing likely caused one of Odysseus' footpads to hit a rock or get caught in a crevice, leading to the tip-over on touchdown. A camera system onboard designed by students at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University was not deployed as planned due to software constraints but will be released later to capture imagery of the spacecraft's orientation.