Intuitive Machines successfully landed its spacecraft on the lunar surface yesterday, although it touched down sideways. Despite the imperfect landing, CEO Steve Altemus described it as a miraculous achievement that the spacecraft remained intact.
During a press conference, Altemus displayed a model of the lander to illustrate how engineers believe the spacecraft, named Odysseus, descended based on the latest telemetry data.
“The vehicle is stable near or at our intended landing site,” Altemus stated. “We’re currently retrieving data from the spacecraft and commanding its operations.”
Intuitive Machines confirmed that the lander touched down at 5:24 p.m. Central Time, marking the company as the first to land a privately built spacecraft on the moon. However, many details about the spacecraft’s condition remained unknown due to the onboard camera, EagleCam, being powered down during the landing.
The company is actively reconstructing the events leading up to the historic landing. Initially, engineers believed Odysseus was upright, but updated telemetry data revealed that the spacecraft was actually vertical at touchdown. However, due to excessive horizontal movement, one of its legs likely caught or broke, causing it to tilt over.
Fortunately, most of the critical subsystems on board, including the solar arrays providing power and other payloads, are functioning properly despite the landing mishap.
The successful outcome was attributed to quick thinking by Intuitive Machines’ mission controllers and a stroke of luck during the challenging landing process.
Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus during a press conference after the IM-1 landing. Image Credits: NASA
After a planned maneuver called lunar orbital insertion, Odysseus faced navigational challenges. The early activation of a navigational subsystem, laser rangefinders, revealed crucial issues with the lasers that could have led to a crash on the moon’s surface. The team managed to overcome this setback by utilizing NASA’s doppler lidar payload for additional orbits to fix the guidance system.
NASA officials praised the last-minute solution, which elevated the doppler lidar technology to its highest readiness level. The successful execution onboard Odysseus demonstrated the technology’s flawless performance under pressure.
