This image provided by Intuitive Machines shows its Odysseus lunar lander over the near side of the moon following lunar orbit insertion on Feb. 21.Odysseus has landed – but not before keeping its human creators guessing for several tense minutes about the fate of their spacecraft on a lonely patch of lunar terrain more than 400,000 kilometres from Earth.
One minute later, Dr. Crain said: “What we can confirm, without a doubt, is that our equipment is on the surface of the moon and we are transmitting, so congratulations IM team,” as team members broke out in applause. Not far away are areas that are currently under consideration as possible landing sites for the Artemis 3, a crewed mission currently slated to fly in September, 2026, that would mark the return of U.S. astronauts to the surface of the moon.
Because the moon has no air to provide lift or friction, any spacecraft that attempts to land there must rely entirely on rocket power to slow its descent by precisely the right amount. It must also maintain a proper orientation while scanning the surface to find a suitable landing site that is free of boulders or other obstacles.