A private lander named Odysseus successfully touched down on the moon on Thursday, marking the first U.S. spacecraft to reach the lunar surface in over five decades. Despite initial communication challenges, Intuitive Machines, the company behind the craft, confirmed the landing, making history as the first private business to achieve a lunar landing.
Mission director Tim Crain confirmed the landing, although details regarding the condition and exact location of the lander were not immediately available. Intuitive Machines ended its live webcast shortly after confirming touchdown, as controllers worked to refine the signal from Odysseus.
The successful landing places the United States back on the lunar surface for the first time since NASA’s Apollo missions. Odysseus, a six-footed carbon fiber and titanium lander, carried six experiments for NASA as part of efforts to commercialize lunar deliveries in preparation for the planned return of astronauts in the coming years.
The landing site, located around 186 miles (300 kilometers) from the south pole of the moon, was chosen for its relative flatness and proximity to potential resources such as frozen water. The lander, powered by solar energy, was designed to operate for approximately a week, enduring the long lunar night.
Odysseus’ successful landing adds to the growing list of lunar exploration achievements by countries and private entities. Japan, Russia, China, and India have all achieved lunar landings, with Intuitive Machines becoming the latest addition to this list.
The mission carried not only NASA experiments but also payloads from other partners, including Columbia Sportswear, sculptor Jeff Koons, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, showcasing the diverse range of endeavors seeking to explore and utilize the moon’s resources.
