As Feared, Intuitive Machines’ Lunar Lander Tipped Over During A Successful Soft Landing

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After its maiden launch of the Nova C Odysseus lunar lander from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida put Intuitive Machines on the face of U.S. space, converge, the firm has confirmed that its lander has achieved a near soft landing on the Moon's surface. Odysseus reached the Moon yesterday, with a landing attempt on time in the early evening Eastern time. However, the final bit of the lander's approach to the lunar surface, described as the most harrowing seconds by the firm's chief technology officer, was nail biting for everyone involved due to a brief communications blackout.

Intuitive Machines' CEO Stephen Altemus confirmed in a teleconference moments back that Odysseus landed softly, even as it might have tipped over during landing. The lander touched down at 6 miles per hour while traveling laterally close to walking speed.

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The gist of the executive's statements appears to indicate that a problem with the lander's navigation sensors might have led to an incorrect orientation (or attitude) on the Moon's surface. During Odysseus's journey, a last minute change to the landing profile involved an emergency switch to a NASA laser radar payload that's on Odysseus to guide it to the surface for a landing.

According to Altemus, sensor readings initially led his firm to believe that the lander had landed upright. He shared that it is possible that after it tipped over a rock, Odysseus landed on its side, and initial sensor readings led the team in Texas to believe that its fuel was at the bottom of the tanks instead of on their sides. However, roughly a day after its landing, Odysseus's mission control is near certain that while the lander