Historic US Moon Lander ‘Permanently Asleep’: A Milestone for Private Space Exploration

Houston-based Intuitive Machines announced the end of an era for its uncrewed lander, Odysseus, the first private spaceship on the moon. The lander failed to “wake up” after its solar panels were expected to receive enough sunlight to activate its radio.

Odysseus touched down at an unusual angle on February 22, but it was still able to complete several tests and transmit photos before its mission ended a week later, as it entered a prolonged lunar night. Despite the hope that it might “wake up” once it received sunlight again, similar to Japan’s SLIM spaceship, Odysseus remained silent.

After several days of waiting, operators confirmed that the power system of the lander, affectionately nicknamed “Odie,” would not complete another call home. This marked the permanent end of Odie, solidifying its legacy as the first commercial lunar lander to touch down on the moon.

Despite encountering multiple challenges, including a tip-over at landing, the mission has been hailed as a success by both Intuitive Machines and NASA. This marked the first lunar touchdown by an American spaceship since the manned Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

NASA, planning to return astronauts to the moon later this decade, paid Intuitive Machines around $120 million for the mission. This is part of an initiative to delegate cargo missions to the private sector and stimulate a lunar economy.

Odysseus carried a suite of NASA instruments designed to enhance scientific understanding of the lunar south pole, the planned destination for astronauts under NASA’s Artemis program later this decade.

Intuitive Machines has two more moon missions planned this year, both part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which collaborates with the private sector.

The United States, along with international partners, aims to eventually develop long-term habitats in the region, harvesting polar ice for drinking water and producing rocket fuel for future voyages to Mars. This marks a significant milestone in private space exploration and the ongoing quest to further human presence in space.