Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus explained at a NASA press conference on February 22, 2023, how the company's IM-1 lander ended up tipping over on the lunar surface.
NASA TV
Intuitive Machines initially reported that Odysseus was standing upright. But company executives said in an update late Friday that they believe the rover's landing gear got stuck sideways as it touched down on the moon, causing it to tip over.
Even though Odysseus is resting on his side, he is still sending data back. Intuitive Machines expects Odysseus to operate until Tuesday morning, when its solar panels will no longer be exposed to sunlight.
Intuitive Machines' stock price fell as much as 30% in Monday trading from its previous closing price of $9.59 per share.
The Odysseus lander carries 12 government and commercial payloads, six of which were delivered to NASA under a $118 million contract through NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. Ta.
NASA leaders emphasized that the IM-1 mission was still a success despite the rover's fall, calling the landing a “huge accomplishment.”
The lunar lander “Nova-C'' designed by aerospace company Intuitive Machines is on display at the company's headquarters in Houston, Texas, USA (photo taken on October 3, 2023).
Staff | Reuters
One of the payloads, EagleCam, is a small camera developed by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. EagleCam was originally scheduled to be ejected during the final moments of Odysseus' landing to capture the first images of the moon landing from outside the spacecraft, but problems with the lander's navigation system prevented the camera from deploying. Embry-Riddle's team said Intuitive Machines still plans to release the Eagle Cam from the lander.
Below are some of the first images from the landing.
The company's Odysseus cargo lander is seen flying towards the moon's surface in preparation for landing on February 22, 2024.
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A wide-field image taken just after Odysseus fell.
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NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera confirms that Intuitive Machines' Odysseus has landed on Earth's surface.
NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University