Moon Landing: US Clinches First Touchdown In 50 Years

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

Texas-based Intuitive Machines achieved the first US private sector lunar landing in over 50 years

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

NASA celebrated the milestone as a major achievement, emphasizing the importance of private-sector involvement in lunar exploration

Image: Unsplash

The six-legged robot lander faced initial communication issues, raising concerns about its condition or potential obstructions

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

Odysseus landed at 6:23 pm EST after a challenging descent, with engineers implementing a last-minute workaround for an autonomous navigation system problem

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

Following a radio blackout, a faint signal indicated a successful touchdown, but uncertainties lingered

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

Despite the weak signal, Intuitive Machines confirmed Odysseus' upright position and the initiation of data transmission on social media

Image: Twitter/NASA

Concerns were raised about possible obstructions, such as crater walls, that might affect the lander's ability to deploy payloads and fulfill science objectives

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the landing as a triumph, marking the first controlled descent by a US spacecraft since Apollo 17 in 1972

Image: Twitter/NASA

The lunar landing is part of NASA's Artemis program, aiming for sustained lunar exploration and eventual crewed missions to Mars

Image: Unsplash

Odysseus carries scientific instruments for space weather, radio astronomy, and seven-day solar-powered exploration

Image: Unsplash

Image: Twitter/Intuitive Machines

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