Exactly a week ago, the American spacecraft Odysseus made a historical landing on the lunar surface. This marked a significant milestone as it was the first time in over half a century that a US spacecraft had successfully landed on the Moon.
The American orb-launcher, Odysseus, made its descent onto the lunar surface.
Intuitive Machines, the company responsible for launching the lander, reported that Odysseus was able to transmit a “farewell broadcast” before it powered down last Friday. The broadcast included an image captured by Odysseus, which depicted the Moon’s surface with a crescent-shaped Earth in the backdrop.
“Good night Odie. We hope to hear from you again,” was the heartfelt message posted by Intuitive Machines alongside the image on their platform.
Odysseus was powered by solar panels, a testament to the advancements in space technology.
Odysseus made its historic landing on the lunar surface on Friday, February 23rd. This marked the first time in over 50 years that a US spacecraft had touched down on the Moon.
However, the landing was not without its challenges. A technical glitch was detected in the spacecraft as it neared the Moon’s surface, which led to the deployment of an experimental laser landing system developed by NASA. Odysseus was tasked with delivering supplies and instruments from NASA to the Moon, among other duties.
The day after the landing, Intuitive Machines reported that Odysseus had unfortunately rolled onto its side. Despite this setback, Odysseus was still able to transmit valuable data from the Moon back to Earth.
