As the world waits for Odysseus to send back its first images from the moon’s surface, officials announced Friday afternoon that the lunar lander may have made a misstep.
Intuitive Machines, the private Houston company that partnered with NASA, said Friday that they believe “Odie” hit a rock while landing and overturned.
In this photo courtesy of Intuitive Machines, Odysseus passes over the near side of the Moon following the lunar orbit during the IM-1 mission on February 21, 2024.
Intuitive machines/AFP via Getty Images
Most of the lander’s payloads are working and the solar-powered Odie has 100% battery power, according to the company.
Odysseus is the first American spacecraft to land on the Moon in more than 50 years. It also marked the first commercial moon landing in American history.
The spacecraft launched last week from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and entered lunar orbit on Wednesday before descending and landing on the lunar surface.
Although the lander has not sent back any images of the moon’s surface as of Friday night, Intuitive Machines released an image that was taken while they had access to Odie’s camera during the flight.
Intuitive Machines posted this image after saying that Odysseus capsized on February 23, 2024.
Intuitive machines
The image was taken about six miles above a crater near the moon’s south pole and about 124 miles from its landing site, according to the company.
The lander carries five NASA instruments, including a radio beacon intended to transmit precise geolocation and cameras that capture how the moon’s surface changes from interactions with the spacecraft’s engine plume, as well as commercial cargo. .