space-infinity 2 months ago
technology channel #Space and Time

What Exactly Went Wrong During Odysseus’s Landing?

A few days ago on the 22nd the Intuitive Machines lunar lander attempted to touchdown on the lunar south pole.

This was quite a big deal as not only was it a private company responsible but this was also the first U.S. lunar landing attempt in over 50 years.


However, what was initially reported by the company as a successful and upright landing, has since changed with new information.


We now know that during its final approach toward the surface, they believe one of its legs got caught in a hole in the ground tipping the entire lunar lander onto its side.


It now is horizontal with some of its solar panels now sideways rather than vertical attempting to gather energy.


Despite this mishap, teams at Intuivitve Machines and NASA believe it can still complete part of its science mission.


Here I will go more in-depth into the landing error, how it happened, what this means for the rest of the mission, and more.

Space Infinity
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