Intuitive Machines? Odysseus lunar lander captures a wide field of view image of Schomberger crater on the Moon, in this handout picture released February 23, 2024. Intuitive Machines/Handout via REUTERS
Posted on 02/23/2024 5:42:18 PM PST by Red Badger
Feb 23 (Reuters) - The moon lander dubbed Odysseus is "alive and well" but resting on its side a day after its white-knuckle touchdown as the first private spacecraft ever to reach the lunar surface, and the first from the U.S. since 1972, the company behind the vehicle said on Friday. The vehicle is believed to have caught one of its six landing feet on the lunar surface near the end of its final descent and tipped over, coming to rest sideways, propped up on a rock, an analysis of data by flight engineers showed, according to Houston-based Intuitive Machines (LUNR.O), opens new tab. Still, all indications are that Odysseus "is stable near or at our intended landing site" close to a crater called Malapert A in the region of the moon's south pole, said Stephen Altemus, chief executive officer of Intuitive Machines, which built and flew the lander. "We do have communications with the lander," and mission control operators are sending commands to the vehicle, Altemus said, adding that they were working to obtain the first photo images from the lunar surface from the landing site. A brief update on the mission's status posted to the company's website earlier on Friday described Odysseus "alive and well." The company had said shortly after touchdown on Thursday that radio signals indicated Odysseus, a 13-foot-tall hexagonal cylinder, had landed in an upright position, but Atlemus said that faulty conclusion was based on telemetry from before the landing. Although the lander's horizontal position is far from ideal, company officials said that all but one of the six NASA science and technology payloads were mounted on portions of the vehicle left exposed and receptive to communications, "which is very good for us," Altemus said.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Has anyone talked to Hank Johnson for his thoughts on this matter?
Intuitive Machines? Odysseus lunar lander captures a wide field of view image of Schomberger crater on the Moon, in this handout picture released February 23, 2024. Intuitive Machines/Handout via REUTERS
Can it get one of those “I’ve fallen and can’t get up” alert devices?
It’s just resting for a bit. It was a long drive.
I guess we can stop making fun of the Japanese now about their lander.
It’s pining for the fjords..................
It most likely ‘bounced’ when it touched down, what with 1/6 gravity and all.................
The company knew they had a problem last night. Very limited communication. No high speed communication. Many people speculated that it may have tipped over. The media completely ignore that there was a problem. see my previous comment(different thread) for a link to the space.com version of this article.
Cow tippers at work.
Haven't we read this book?
Genesis 28
11 And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.
12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
There's always a song!
Willie Nelson and The Boys - Send Me the Pillow You Dream On
Hats off to Neil Armstrong!
It tipped because the moon is flat liketheearth?
Landing is much easier (and safer) in a studio! You can even drive around in ready-to-drive dune buggies and make phone calls to the president! And NO RADIATION!
Their press conference was unintentional comedy gold. Listening to the obvious, and endless, marketing-driven happy talk spin, while the model of the lander was sitting there sideways, was hilarious. If Saturday Night Live was still funny, I could easily envision the skit they would do about it.
No, it actually landed on Guam, which we all know is supposed to be tipped over.
I realize that gravity on the moon is much less than here, but couldn’t they have put the heavy parts at the bottom, in a half-sphere bowl, and not used any legs? That way, like the inflatable clown that bounces right back up after a punch is thrown, it could have naturally righted itself.
humm. fortunate for them that the robot lander survived tipping over. i thought something went wrong when listening to the live feed. they were acting kind of flumoxed for about 15 minutes after projected touchdown.
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