The Odysseus spacecraft, launched from Earth on February 15, landed autonomously.
Private lander Intuitive Machines Inc. under the name Odysseus an American private company made a successful landing in the area of the south pole of the Moon, it was reported in NASA.
The CEO of Intuitive Machines indicated during the live broadcast that the ship was on top of the satellite and was sending a weak but steady signal.
“We can confirm that our vehicle is on the Moon and we are receiving a signal, Odysseus has found a new home,” the Odysseus flight director announced during the broadcast.
The spacecraft, launched from Earth on February 15, landed in autonomous mode. Although the exact landing site is unclear, engineers continue to analyze data from the spacecraft’s instruments.
The Mission control center lost contact with the aircraft for a short time. It took about ten minutes to restore the signal and confirm the landing. As NASA reported after confirming the successful landing, Odysseus crashed into the lunar surface at 23:24 GMT.
The mission was the first successful private attempt to land on the Moon and the first successful soft landing for the United States in more than 50 years. The last time an American module landed on a satellite was in 1972 during the Apollo 17 mission.
Your order has been delivered… to the Moon! 📦@Int_Machines‘ uncrewed lunar lander landed at 6:23pm ET (2323 UTC), bringing NASA science to the surface of the Moon. These instruments will prepare us for future human exploration of the Moon below #Artemis. pic.twitter.com/sS0poiWxrU
— NASA (@NASA) February 22, 2024
Earlier, Odysseus, during its flight to the Moon, sent the first pictures taken into space.
SpaceX launches a private lander on the Moon
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Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.