Odysseus Lands On Moon: Private US Spacecraft Makes First Commercial Landing On Lunar Surface

Odysseus Lands On Moon: A moon probe built by US-based firm Intuitive Machines successfully landed on the lunar surface on Friday (IST), becoming the first American moon lander to achieve the feat in more than 50 years and also the maiden privately-owned spacecraft to touch down on the moon. According to NASA webcast, the condition of the moon lander, named Odysseus, in the immediate aftermath of the landing remained unclear due to faint radio signals.

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However, a while later, Intuitive Machines confirmed a safe touchdown by posting on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): "After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data. Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface." Odysseus is carrying a suite of science instruments and technology demonstrations for US' NASA and several commercial customers designed to operate for seven days before the sun sets on the polar landing site. 

After troubleshooting communications, flight controllers have confirmed Odysseus is upright and starting to send data.
Right now, we are working to downlink the first images from the lunar surface.

— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 23, 2024

The landing site of the spacecraft is near Malapert A, an impact crater near the moon's south pole. The site is "(A) relatively flat and safe region is within the heavily cratered southern highlands on the side of the Moon visible from Earth," as per NASA. The US national space agency said it chose this landing site for Intuitive Machines' first mission because it wanted to learn more about the lunar environment and how communications function in this area.

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The US remains the only country to have put humans on the lunar surface, most recently in 1972 with the Apollo 17 mission. Odysseus, a 13-foot-tall (4 meters) NOVA C-class lander, was launched six days ago, on February 15, atop a Falcon 9 rocket built and flown by Elon Musk's California-based company SpaceX from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

(With inputs from agencies)