• 8 months ago
Odysseus, the first private US spacecraft to land on the moon, has encountered an unexpected turn of events. Odysseus, operated by Intuitive Machines, initially made history on February 22 when it successfully landed on the lunar surface, marking the first time a private company in the US achieved such a feat. However, the triumph was short-lived as the spacecraft faced challenges during its descent, resulting in an awkward landing near the lunar south pole.

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Transcript
00:00 Odysseus, the first private US spacecraft to land on the Moon, has encountered an unexpected
00:07 turn of events.
00:08 Odysseus, operated by Intuitive Machines, initially made history on February 22 when
00:14 it successfully landed on the lunar surface, marking the first time a private company in
00:19 the US achieved such a feat.
00:21 However, the triumph was short-lived as the spacecraft faced challenges during its descent,
00:27 resulting in an awkward landing near the lunar South Pole.
00:30 Despite the unexpected landing position, Odysseus has demonstrated resilience beyond our expectations.
00:36 The six-legged lander, carrying six NASA experiments valued at $118 million, encountered a setback
00:43 last week when it broke its leg up touchdown, tipping over and hindering its operations.
00:50 The conclusion came on Thursday as flight controllers received the last image from Odysseus,
00:55 instructing its computer and power systems to enter standby mode.
01:00 This precautionary measure is aimed at preserving the lander's potential to reawaken in the
01:04 coming weeks.
01:06 Intuitive Machines spokesperson Josh Marshall commented on the situation, stating that the
01:11 final actions depleted the lander's batteries, effectively putting Odysseus into a prolonged
01:16 hibernation.
01:17 The company bid farewell to the spacecraft via social media, saying, "Good night, Ody.
01:22 We hope to hear from you again."
01:24 Despite the challenges, Odysseus represents a significant milestone in NASA's commercial
01:28 lunar delivery program.
01:30 Previous attempts by private companies had not succeeded, with one lander crashing back
01:34 to Earth in January.
01:36 NASA sees these private landers as critical steps towards future manned missions expected
01:41 to occur in the coming years.
01:43 Before Odysseus, the last U.S. moon landing was conducted by Apollo 17 astronauts Gene
01:48 Cernan and Harrison Schmitt in 1972.
02:02 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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