Intuitive Machines’ Moon Lander Tips Over on Lunar Surface, Still Able to Send Data
In a surprising turn of events, Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus moon lander tipped over onto its side upon touchdown on the lunar surface. The spacecraft, coming down faster than expected and moving slightly to one side, caught a footpad on the rocky terrain, causing it to lose balance. However, despite the mishap, Odysseus remains functional and is still able to send engineering and science data back to Earth.
The CEO and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, Steve Altemus, reassured the public that the lander can still draw power from the sun and transmit data. Engineers are currently in the process of downloading data and hope to retrieve stored images that will provide a clearer understanding of the spacecraft’s orientation. Altemus expressed his understanding of the public’s eagerness for surface photos and assured that they are working diligently to provide them.
While the lander’s active instruments are facing away from the lunar surface, they should still be able to collect and transmit data as planned. However, due to the tilt of the spacecraft, some of its antennas do not face Earth, which may cause delays in data transmission.
Time is of the essence as the sun is expected to drop below the horizon at the landing site in just over a week. Once this happens, power generation by the lander’s solar cells will cease. The spacecraft is not designed to withstand the ultra-low temperatures of the lunar night. Although flight controllers will attempt to reestablish contact with Odysseus when the sun rises again, they do not hold high hopes for a response.
Despite the setback, Joel Kearns, NASA’s deputy associate administrator for exploration, commended Intuitive Machines for their successful landing. He highlighted three major accomplishments achieved by the company. Firstly, Intuitive Machines accomplished the first successful soft landing on the moon by the United States since 1972. Secondly, they became the first non-government commercial organization to achieve a safe touchdown. Lastly, their touchdown point at 80 degrees south latitude is much closer to the moon’s south pole than any previous U.S. robotic or human explorers. This achievement is crucial for NASA’s future plans of sending Artemis astronauts to the south polar region to search for possible ice deposits and establish a long-term presence on the moon.
Intuitive Machines received partial funding from NASA’s Commercial Lunar Services Payloads program, which aims to encourage private industry to develop transportation capabilities for lunar payloads. NASA paid Intuitive Machines $118 million to carry six payloads to the moon aboard Odysseus.
The successful landing was made possible by a navigation sensor known as NDL (Navigation Doppler Lidar), which was one of the six NASA payloads on board Odysseus. The NDL system operates similarly to radar but uses reflected laser light to precisely measure vehicle velocity, direction, and altitude. Engineers quickly integrated the NASA system into the lander’s navigation algorithms, allowing for a successful landing despite the unexpected lateral velocity.
While engineers remain optimistic that Odysseus can still accomplish most of its objectives, the tipped-over landing presents challenges. The lander’s ability to autonomously navigate around rocks and other obstacles that cannot be seen from orbit is compromised. However, both Altemus and Tim Crain, Intuitive’s chief technology officer, believe that most objectives can still be met.
Unfortunately, an experimental camera system called “EagleCam,” built by students at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, was not deployed as planned due to software constraints related to the guidance system problem. The camera system was designed to capture imagery of the lander during its final descent. However, Altemus mentioned that the cameras will be ejected later and will provide valuable views of Odysseus resting on its side.
The Odysseus moon lander’s tipped-over landing serves as a reminder of the risks and challenges faced by robotic spacecraft attempting to land on unknown terrain. Despite the setback, Intuitive Machines and NASA remain committed to furthering lunar exploration and paving the way for future missions.
