First US Spacecraft in Almost 50 Years Lands on the Moon

The United States has once again reached the surface of the moon, following a suspense-filled journey downwards. A slender robotic lander named Odysseus, fabricated by a private U.S company, landed near the moon's south pole around 6:23 p.m. Eastern time. This probe, containing six NASA devices along with additional miscellaneous items, is the first U.S. vehicle to execute a controlled descent and meet the lunar surface since the landing of Apollo 17 in 1972.

CEO of Intuitive Machines, Steve Altemus announced during a live NASA transmission, "I am aware this was a cause for suspense, but we have made it to the surface, we are transmitting and welcome to the moon." He later added, "Houston, Odysseus has found its new place."

The mission is being monitored by Intuitive Machines, a private firm based in Houston, which was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 15. Odysseus' journey culminated in a plane area near the Malapert A crater, approx 300 kilometers from the moon's south pole. This location is in the vicinity of several speculated landing sites for prospective NASA astronauts.

Unexpected issues arose during the landing attempt, including the malfunctioning of the spacecraft’s laser range finder, an integral part of its autonomous landing system. The mission planners chose to maintain the orbit for an added two hours and employ two supplementary lasers, part of a NASA payload, to complete the descent.

"What we can confirm without a doubt is that our equipment is on the moon and we are transmitting," stated Mission Director Tim Crain, the chief technology officer of Intuitive Machines. However, communication with the spacecraft was sporadic and the immediate status of the spacecraft remained uncertain.

Odysseus, standing roughly 4 meters tall and being 1.5 meters in width, is transporting half a dozen NASA devices designed to demonstrate tech for forthcoming landings and enhance understanding of the environment near the south pole to prepare for future astronaut missions. The payloads are designed to examine precision landing technologies, test a novel method of estimating leftover lander fuel, examine the radio environment near the lunar surface, and install a set of retroreflectors on the ground to act as a permanent location marker.

Onboard Odysseus are payloads from several private firms and groups, in addition to NASA’s instruments. A camera, designed by students and faculty of the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. is included. This camera was planned to be ejected from the lander around 30 meters above the surface to snap the first photos of a lunar touchdown from outside the incoming spacecraft. The robot will also carry the first art installation on the moon, a box containing 125 miniature sculptures that symbolize human curiosity.

Steve Durst, leader of the International Lunar Observatory, shared his excitement. His organization, a private firm based in Kamuela, Hawaii, sent a small telescope named ILO-X as one of the payloads on Odysseus. This telescope anticipates taking scientific photos of the Milky Way from the lunar surface, which will be used for research on our galaxy.

This venture by Intuitive Machines is part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, where NASA contracts companies to explore the moon in support of the upcoming Artemis lunar program. The Artemis program strives to reinstall human presence on the moon, with the primary crewed landing predicted no earlier than late 2026.

Since astronaut Eugene Cernan left the preceding U.S. footprints on the moon over 50 years ago, a number of private companies and nations have tried to perform robotic landings, although most attempts were unsuccessful. Today, with Odysseus' successful landing, the United States has moved closer to its next significant stride in space exploration.

“Today, for the first time in more than a half century, the U.S. has returned to the moon,” NASA administrator Bill Nelson proclaimed during the NASA broadcast. He added, “Today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA’s commercial partnerships. Congratulations to everyone involved in this great and daring quest.”