The American company Intuitive Machines, the first private company to land on the moon, announced on Friday that its probe probably landed on the side of the moon rather than landing vertically on the moon, but that scientific data and images show this nevertheless allow should be restored.
Intuitive Machines' 14-foot-tall Odysseus probe landed on the moon at 11:23 p.m. Thursday, becoming the first American device to do so in more than 50 years.
But twists and turns, particularly a navigation system failure, made the final descent difficult.
“We believe that Odysseus caught his foot on the surface and the lander rolled over,” Steve Altemus, CEO and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, said at a press conference.
Using a model of the lander, he showed the device on one side, but with the upper part likely resting on a rock so it could be partially raised, according to analysis by the young Houston, Texas-based company founded in 2013.
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Odysseus' ground operations are expected to last at most about seven days before night falls at the moon's south pole.
Photo: Portal / Intuitive Machines
The lander still produces energy thanks to its solar panels and can therefore function, Mr. Altemus said, specifying that a NASA probe in lunar orbit this weekend should try to take photos that could confirm Odysseus' exact location.
The company said Thursday evening that the plane landed upright, but that claim was based on incorrect data, the CEO added.
A half-hearted mission
In particular, the device carries scientific instruments for NASA, which wants to explore the south pole of the moon before sending its astronauts there as part of its Artemis missions.
Fortunately, most of the cargo carried by the lander is on the side away from the lunar surface, Altemus said.
However, some antennas are aimed at the ground, which limits data transmission capabilities.
Another disappointment: A small, camera-equipped machine called EagleCam, developed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, was supposed to be thrown from the moon at the last moment to photograph the landing from the outside.
Unfortunately, due to the complications that arose during this phase, the use of EagleCam has been postponed, the university announced on Friday. An operation during the ground mission is now planned, which could make it possible to obtain an external view of the lander.
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The mission, called IM-1, is considered a success by NASA, which awarded Intuitive Machines a $118 million contract to transport six scientific instruments to the moon.
Photo: AFP / VIA GETTY IMAGES / GREGG NEWTON
While the moon landing wasn't perfect, it still represents a success for NASA, which awarded Intuitive Machines a $118 million contract to transport six scientific instruments during this mission, named IM-1.
One of them probably saved the trip. The lunar navigation system did not work as expected, so the company had to improvise.
During an additional lunar tour added just before the dreaded descent, employees programmed a NASA laser system at the last minute to control the lander.
This system, which is intended to improve the precision of landings, was to be activated in space for the first time in a test on this mission. But eventually it was successfully used as a primary navigation system.
Odysseus' ground operations are expected to last at most about seven days before night falls at the moon's south pole.
Private companies and the moon
Intuitive Machines received congratulations Thursday from around the world, including from rival companies that recently unsuccessfully attempted the maneuver themselves: upstart Japanese company ispace, which crashed on the moon last year, and American company Astrobotic, which failed to reach the lunar star in January.
This mission is the first for Intuitive Machines, but the second for NASA's new lunar delivery program called CLPS, following Astrobotic's failure last month.
Instead of sending scientific instruments and associated vehicles to the moon, the American space agency decided to contract this service from private companies.
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NASA's Artemis program aims to send astronauts to the lunar surface sometime in 2026.
Photo: getty images/istockphoto / abriendomundo
This strategy should allow him to make the trip more often and for less money. But also to stimulate the development of a lunar economy that can support a sustainable human presence on the Moon, one of the goals of NASA's Artemis program.
In total, four more US lunar missions are officially planned this year as part of the CLPS program, including two more from Intuitive Machines.