The Odysseus Moon lander, a project by Intuitive Machines, made headlines recently when it tipped over on touchdown during a historic soft lunar landing. Despite the unexpected turn of events, CEO Steve Altemus remains optimistic about the mission’s future.
Altemus believes that the landing may have been caused by the robot catching a foot on the surface or breaking a leg upon landing. Regardless, Odysseus is still in good condition with plenty of power and is successfully communicating with Earth.
Currently, controllers are focusing on retrieving pictures from the robot to assess its structure and external equipment. Fortunately, all scientific instruments on the side facing up are functional, aside from a static art project on the bottom.
The landing site, near the Moon’s south pole, is within 2-3km of the targeted location. The mission was funded by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services programme, which supports private American companies in providing cargo services to the Moon, with a fee of $118 million.
Despite the setback, Intuitive Machines has plans for two more missions in 2024. NASA regards the CLPS approach as a more cost-effective method for lunar exploration, fostering further collaboration between public and private sectors.
However, Odysseus may face challenges ahead as darkness is expected to fall on the landing site in early March. While the lander is currently functional, its longevity remains uncertain in the face of impending darkness. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking mission from Insider Wales Sport.
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