Lunar lander Odysseus made contact with the surface of the moon, only to land on its side. Still, it remains communicative as of Saturday.
Intuitive Machines, Odyssues’ creator and operator, reported its lander is “alive and well” after becoming the first privately-owned lander to reach the moon’s surface and the most recent since 1972. CEO Stephen Altemus speculated one of its landing feet tripped over the rough surface, which caused the fall.
Communications are still possible with Odysseus, but the timeline of functionality is up in the air as its solar panels, positioned at the top, are now in the wrong direction. Its laser-powered range finders are also not working because Intuitive Machines engineers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida forgot to turn off its safety switch before its seven-day journey.
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“This humbling moment reminds us that pursuing the extraordinary requires both boldness and resilience,” Altemus said in a statement.
Odysseus is the latest in NASA’s program to revamp lunar missions. Intuitive Machines is the third company NASA has contracted with since 2023, after SpaceX and Artemis, at a cumulative price of $2.6 billion. Current contracts are scheduled through 2028.
