At 6:23 p.m. ET on February 22, 2024, the Odysseus lander became the first non-governmental US craft to make a successful soft landing on the moon. Built.
What just happened? After becoming the first American craft to land on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972, and the first ever commercial craft to achieve such a feat, the Odysseus lander has powered down and may never wake again, bringing an end to its historic mission.
At 6:23 p.m. ET on February 22, 2024, the Odysseus lander became the first non-governmental US craft to make a successful soft landing on the moon. Built by Texas-based Intuitive Machines, Odysseus was meant to operate on the lunar surface for around seven to ten days, but after a little over six days, the batteries had drained and the machine was shut down.
While roundly hailed as a success, the record-setting lander did face issues. During its descent, a laser guidance system failed and operators had to switch to an experimental LIDAR system, which was intended for use only in a tech demo.
