Odysseus moon lander may have tipped over, NASA partner says
As the world waits for Odysseus to send its first images from the moon's surface, officials announced Friday afternoon that the moon lander may have had a misstep.
Intuitive Machines, the private Houston company that partnered with NASA, said Friday that they believe "Odie" hit a rock as it was landing and tipped over.
The majority of the lander's payloads are working and Odie, which is solar-powered, has 100% battery power, according to the company.
Odysseus is the first U.S.-based craft to land on the moon in over 50 years. It also marked the first commercial based landing on the moon in U.S. history.
The craft launched last week from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and entered lunar orbit Wednesday before it descended and landed on the moon's surface.
Although the lander has not sent any images from the moon's surface as of Friday evening, Intuitive Machines released one image that was taken while they had access to Odie's camera during the flight.
The image was taken about six miles above a crater near the south pole of the moon, and about 124 miles from its landing site, according to the company.
The lander is carrying five NASA instruments, including a radio beacon meant to transmit precise geolocation and cameras that capture how the surface of the moon changes from interactions with the engine plume of the spacecraft, as well as commercial cargo.
