UPDATE: The spacecraft that touched down on the moon last week is “alive and well” after tipping over onto its side.
Houston-based Intuitive Machines guided its Odysseus lander onto the moon, marking the first touchdown by a U.S.-built spacecraft since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
The company says all indications are that the lander is “stable” and at the intended landing site near the moon’s South Pole.
The lander will collect data needed by NASA, which is planning to land near the moon’s south pole later this decade.
After the landing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also congratulated Intuitive Machines, saying “This feat is a giant leap forward for all of humanity.” Odysseus is expected to spend roughly a week gathering data before it loses power.
[ photo: Intuitive Machines – Facebook ]
