A spaceship attempting America’s first moon landing in more than 50 years has arrived on the lunar surface and is transmitting a weak signal back, the company behind the mission said on Thursday.
“Without a doubt is our equipment is on the surface of the moon, and we are transmitting,” Tim Crain of Intuitive Machines said.
“Congratulations, IM team, we’ll see how much more we can get from that.”
The Odysseus lander began its descent on Thursday, as part of a new fleet of Nasa-funded, uncrewed commercial robots intended to pave the way for astronaut missions later this decade.
Underscoring the technical challenges inherent in the task, the Houston-based firm was forced to make a late switch from using the craft’s own navigation system, which stopped working, to an experimental laser landing system built by Nasa.
Moon landing attempt by US firm appears doomed after ‘critical’ fuel leak
Moon landing attempt by US firm appears doomed after ‘critical’ fuel leak
Spaceships landing on the moon have to navigate treacherous boulders and craters and, absent an atmosphere to support parachutes, must rely on thrusters to control their descent.
Roughly half of the more than 50 attempts have failed.
Until now, only the space agencies of the Soviet Union, United States, China, India and Japan have accomplished the feat, making for an exclusive club.
More to follow …
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