American Invest Hub
  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • Latest News

American Invest Hub

  • Politics
  • Investing
  • Business
  • Latest News
Latest News

The Odysseus lunar lander is sideways on the moon, company that built it says

by admin February 24, 2024
February 24, 2024
The Odysseus lunar lander is sideways on the moon, company that built it says

The Odysseus lunar lander is sideways on the moon, Intuitive Machines, the company that built the vehicle, said during a news conference Friday.

The revelation comes after Intuitive Machines had initially described Odysseus as “upright” in an update posted to the social media platform X just after the historic mission made its touchdown on the lunar surface Thursday. But the company’s CEO, Steve Altemus, said data later showed that the spacecraft was likely tilted on its side after having caught one of its feet on a lunar rock.

“We think it came down (moving) about 6 miles an hour this way, and about 2 miles an hour (horizontally along the surface) and caught foot in the surface, and in the lander has tipped like this,” Altemus said, using a small model of the lander to demonstrate the suspected issue during a news briefing.

Altemus said only one piece of Odysseus’ cargo is on the side of the spacecraft that’s facing down toward the lunar surface: A piece of art that was sent to the moon by one of Intuitive Machines’ commercial customers.

The CEO also emphasized that the spacecraft remained in stable condition, with its solar panels catching sunlight and fully charging its batteries. Already, some experimental technology payloads from NASA have been put to the test, checking off some key mission objectives.

‘A punch in the stomach’

Notably, Intuitive Machines realized prior to descent that Odysseus had a faulty piece of navigation equipment. And the company opted to bypass the broken pieces and use an experimental NASA instrument that happened to be on board: The Navigation Doppler Radar, or NDL, developed at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Altemus said initially learning of the issue was “like a punch in the stomach — that we were going to lose the mission.”

The company’s engineers had to essentially operate as hackers, figuring out a way to patch in data from NASA’s NDL — which was intended to be on a simple demo flight — in the hopes it could save the mission.

The hack ultimately worked, and the spacecraft made it to the lunar surface in operational condition. No other US spacecraft has soft-landed on the moon since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, and no commercial spacecraft before Odysseus had ever accomplished such a feat.

The space agency and Intuitive Machines are still working to figure out whether Odysseus can achieve all of its science objectives, according to Joel Kearns, the deputy associate administrator for exploration in NASA’s Science Mission Directorate.

“We are doing an assessment to see: Are there any measurements still to come from any of the NASA supplied payloads that most likely can’t take place particularly because of this new orientation?” Kearns said.

The spacecraft is experiencing some issues — which Intuitive Machines executives said were close to being resolved — that involve the speed and consistency with which they can gather data from Odysseus.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

0
FacebookTwitterGoogle +Pinterest
previous post
Osisko Metals Sells an Additional 5% Interest in Pine Point to Appian
next post
This weekend’s full moon will be a ‘micromoon.’ Here’s what that means

Related Posts

Why Ukrainian sugar imports to EU face significant...

March 20, 2025

Why gold prices are falling despite a Fed...

November 10, 2024

Crude oil may not have much upside potential...

April 15, 2025

Exclusive: Inside the foreign mission sent to battle...

August 10, 2024

Decline in female business leaders in Britain: a...

October 17, 2024

UK businesses in ‘damage control’ mode as £40bn...

November 26, 2024

Israeli special forces enter largest remaining functioning hospital...

February 16, 2024

Surging gold prices hit India’s retail jewellery sales

February 27, 2025

Fierce fighting in Vovchansk as Ukrainian troops try...

June 17, 2024

Russia’s war machine is trying to turn Ukrainian...

March 16, 2024

    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Latest News

    • Why Thailand’s economic recovery may not be straightforward

      July 6, 2025
    • Why the US job market may actually crumble soon

      July 6, 2025
    • China spares major French cognac makers from tariffs in brandy dispute

      July 6, 2025
    • Berlin seeks Patriot Missiles for Ukraine amid US supply strain: report

      July 6, 2025
    • Donald Trump to send warning letters as 70% tariff threat looms

      July 6, 2025

    Categories

    • Business (3,295)
    • Investing (2,577)
    • Latest News (2,011)
    • Politics (1,530)
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Disclaimer: americaninvesthub.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

    Copyright © 2025 americaninvesthub.com | All Rights Reserved