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While it was previously reported that the Odysseus spacecraft landed on the moon upright, it now appears to be lying on its side. This was announced by the American company Intuitive Machines, the manufacturer and director of the Odysseus game.
The lunar lander is in good condition and sending signals. General Manager Stephen Altemus said it was believed the car flipped during the final stages of the descent before coming to rest sideways on a rock.
According to Altimus, Odysseus was “grounded near or at his intended landing site” on the moon's south pole. “We are communicating with the lander,” he said. He added that the teams are working to obtain the first images of the surface of the landing site.
Odysseus landed on Thursday night into Friday shortly after midnight (Dutch time) at a crater near the moon's south pole. This is the first American landing on the moon since 1972.
The company said shortly after the landing that radio signals indicated that Odysseus landed upright, but Altimus said the wrong conclusion was based on data before landing.
Odysseus conducts research on the effect of charged particles of the Sun on the surface of the Moon
Odysseus spends about a week investigating the effect of charged particles from the Sun on the surface of the Moon. People traveling to the Moon are exposed to these particles. Hence there is hardly any protection from the magnetic field as there is on Earth. The United States also wants to try more precise landings.
The United States wants to take people to the moon and back in the coming years. The polar crater where the probe was supposed to land is a possible destination.
Space companies could help build bases on the Moon. NASA has created a program for this purpose: Commercial Lunar Payload Services. Through this program, companies can receive millions of euros to develop and build lunar devices.
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