The US commercial lunar module Odysseus is likely lying on its side after landing on the moon's surface. This was reported by the private American company Intuitive Machines (IM) on Friday.
-Illustration- (Photo: Unsplash)
This was the first American spacecraft to reach Earth's companion planet in more than fifty years.
IM recently reported that during the vehicle's final landing, ground teams had to switch to a backup guidance system and it took several minutes after landing to establish radio contact. The unit may have hit a rock.
The company initially reported that the vehicle landed upright. However, IM CEO Steve Altemus announced on Friday that the data had been misinterpreted.
However, according to them, the solar panels are working and scientific experiments conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) can still continue.
This module is designed to transport small payloads to the lunar surface and is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Shipping Services (CLPS) program. One of the long-term goals of this program is to establish a permanent base on the Moon.
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