Private American Company's Robotic Lander, "Odyssey Spacecraft," Lands Successfully on Moon's Southern Pole
After more than half a century, America has successfully returned to the lunar surface.
According to local time, a private American company, Intuitive Machines, landed its robotic lander named "Odyssey Spacecraft" on the southern pole of the Moon on Thursday evening.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Stephen Altemus, confirmed the successful landing of the lander on the lunar surface in a statement.
Upon reaching the lunar surface, communication with Odyssey was temporarily lost with NASA. However, after a 15-minute search, officials confirmed the restoration of communication with the spacecraft.
Breaking Barriers: America's Triumphant Return to the Moon
Following the restoration of communication with the spacecraft, a statement was issued by Bill Nelson, the administrator of the American space agency NASA, expressing that after the restoration of communication with the spacecraft, a commercial lander named "Odyssey," launched on a SpaceX rocket, successfully landed with multiple scientific instruments sent by NASA. Today, after more than half a century, America has returned to the Moon.
According to Stephen Altemus's estimates, there was an 80 percent chance of successfully landing Odyssey on the Moon. They utilized past unsuccessful attempts as lessons for this achievement.
He said, "We stand on the shoulders of those who have tried before us."
This spacecraft is the first American mission to land on the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972 and the first private spacecraft to perform a soft landing on the Moon.
The successful landing of the Odyssey spacecraft marks a significant achievement for American space exploration, paving the way for future lunar missions and scientific endeavors.