US spaceship Odysseus may have 'tipped over' on Moon surface, likely 'fractured' landing equipment

Odysseus, which etchedits name in the history books by becoming the first American US spaceship to have landed on the moon in over 50 years, might have tipped over on the surface of the Earth's natural satellite. Steve Altemus, the CEO of Intuitive Machines, the private company that prepared the spaceship, reportedly said,"We might have fractured that landing gear and tipped over gently."

Odysseus concluded its seven-day voyage to lunar orbit and ultimately carried out maneuvers to softly touch down near Malapert A in the Moon's South Pole region at 5:24 p.m. CST on February 22, according to NASA. The US space agency said that the lander is in good health, harnessing solar power, and relaying data to the company's mission control in Houston.

Also Read |Snakes have ability to evolve more quickly than their close relatives, reveals study

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Sharing an update on the moon mission,Intuitive Machines said that the lunar lander is "alive and well".

"Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and solar charging. We continue to learn more about the vehicle’s specific information (Lat/Lon), overall health, and attitude (orientation)," it said.

Also Read |NASA posts intriguing image of 'cat's eye' in the sky

The historic lunar lander also captured a wide field of view image of Schomberger crater on the Moon "approximately 125 miles (200 km) uprange from the intended landing site, at approximately about 6 miles (10 km) altitude."

Watch |How to overcome money dysmorphia?

In a historic event on December 11, 1972,the United States' Lunar Module, aptly named "Challenger," descended upon the rugged terrain of the Taurus-Littrow region of the Moon. This mission marked the culmination of years of scientific ambition, and technological innovation.The Challenger Lunar Module was a crucial component of NASA's Apollo program, which aimed to land humans on the lunar surface and return them safely to Earth.

NASA congratulated Intuitive Machines'on its uncrewed lunar lander landing and also for bringing NASA science to the Moon's surface. "These instruments will prepare us for future human exploration of the Moon under #Artemis," the US space agency had said.

(With inputs from agencies)