- Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus moon lander mission faces premature termination after a sideways touchdown near the moon’s south pole.
- Critical testing shortcuts and human errors, including the failure to unlock safety switches and skipping laser system tests, led to the malfunction of the spacecraft’s range finders.
- Despite being the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon since 1972 and a milestone in commercial space exploration under NASA’s Artemis program, Odysseus’s shortened mission raises questions about data collection and poses challenges for Intuitive Machines.
The Odysseus moon lander mission by Intuitive Machines, a private U.S. company, is set to conclude prematurely following an unconventional sideways touchdown. Flight control engineers anticipate losing contact with the spacecraft on Tuesday morning, just five days after its landing near the moon’s south pole. This early termination poses questions about the scientific data that could have been gathered during Odysseus’s planned seven to ten-day mission.
Details have emerged regarding testing shortcuts and human oversight that contributed to the malfunction of the spacecraft’s laser-guided range finders before its landing. Intuitive Machines admitted to skipping a critical test firing of the laser system due to time and cost constraints during pre-flight checks. This decision, along with the failure to unlock the lasers’ safety switch before launch, led to the inoperability of the range finders.
The malfunction necessitated improvisation from flight controllers to prevent a potentially disastrous crash landing. An engineer crafted a software “patch” to address the problem, although its impact on the spacecraft’s sideways landing remains uncertain.
Despite landing within a mile of its intended site, Odysseus tipped over upon touchdown, limiting sunlight exposure to its solar panels and hindering communication with Earth due to antenna misalignment. Intuitive Machines faces challenges in assessing the mission’s overall impact, particularly regarding the functionality of payloads aboard the lander.
The company expects to maintain communication with Odysseus until Tuesday morning when its solar panels are no longer exposed to light. This premature end to the mission has caused a significant drop in Intuitive Machines’ stock value.
Despite the setbacks, Odysseus marks a milestone as the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the moon since 1972, and the first lunar landing by a commercially manufactured vehicle under NASA’s Artemis program. Intuitive Machines, funded in part by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, has invested heavily in this endeavor.
