“We have just taken the first step to return to the moon.” (National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA)
On the 22nd of last month (Eastern US time), the U.S. space probe Odysseus (Nova-C), the first private company to successfully land on the moon, will go into ‘temporary dormancy’. As one of the legs (landing supports) broke and the vertical landing failed, solar energy supply was not smooth, so it was decided to stop operation for about 3 weeks.
Stephen Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines, which developed Odysseus, held a joint press conference with NASA on the 28th (local time) and said, “Odysseus will stop operating from around 8 p.m.” Odysseus was scheduled to perform its mission for 9 to 10 days after landing and then cease operations, but it ended up stopping about 2 to 3 days early.
In a photo released by Intuitive Machine on the 28th (local time), the lunar probe ‘Odysseus’ is seen leaning on the lunar surface on the 27th. Intuitive Machines announced that if Odysseus’s battery life is short and it stops operating, it will recharge it with solar power within two to three weeks and check whether it will operate again. 2024.02.29. AP/NewsisThe problem occurred during landing. CEO Altemus explained, “The vertical descent was successful, but unlike the plan to land on a flat surface, it landed on a slope and tilted about 30 degrees after 2 seconds.” Contrary to speculation that Odysseus would have fallen completely sideways, he was still standing to some extent, but there was a problem with energy supply as some of the solar panels did not receive sunlight. However, just as the Japanese exploration spacecraft Slim successfully restarted on January 20th even though it overturned while landing on the moon, there is a good chance that Odysseus will return to its mission after going through a dormant state.
A photo taken after Odysseus landed on the moon was also released on this day. The photo taken on the 27th using a telephoto camera shows Odysseus standing on the surface of the moon. Intuitive Machines explained, “The photos sent earlier were difficult to read, so the first release was delayed.” NASA said, “All six of our instruments aboard Odysseus are operating normally,” and “The data collected by the instruments has also been successfully transmitted.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.