The private Nova-C Odysseus lander from the American company Intuitive Machines experienced a crash during its attempted Moon landing on February 22. Despite the impact, officials reported that the vehicle remained operational and essential systems stayed intact. Space.com cites statements from Intuitive Machines chief executive Steve Altemus to summarize the immediate aftermath.
Altemus explained that before touch down, Odysseus showed signs that its laser rangefinders were not functioning correctly. To compensate, the team deployed an experimental NASA instrument known as Navigation Doppler Lidar for Precision Speed and Distance Measurement to determine altitude and velocity. This alternative approach kept the mission on track while the team worked through the anomaly.
The landing window was therefore extended by about two hours to allow for software updates to Odysseus. Corrected software had to be downloaded so the lander could finish its descent with improved control parameters and data interpretation. The additional time was used to ensure the onboard systems could respond accurately to the changing conditions near the lunar surface.
During the final phase, Odysseus needed to descend with precision, moving in a near perpendicular path to the Moon’s surface at a projected speed around 3.2 kilometers per hour. On the ground, telemetry indicated that the actual descent rate was much higher, averaging roughly 10 kilometers per hour, while a lateral drift of about 3.2 kilometers per hour occurred. This divergence from the planned profile raised concerns about the structural response to the unexpected motion at the moment of contact.
Altemus suggested one possible factor could be a misalignment with the terrain. He noted that the lander might have encountered a crack or irregularity on the lunar surface, causing one of the landing legs to strike a nonstandard feature as the craft descended along a nontraditional trajectory. The result appeared to be damage to the undercarriage, with the likelihood of a capsize later in the event chain.
Odysseus ultimately touched down within a short distance of the intended site, near a crater identified as Malapert A. The proximity to the target area provided a favorable context for continuing data collection and mission objectives despite the rough landing. Engineers confirmed that the core subsystems and scientific equipment remained active and that the solar panels successfully charged the batteries to full capacity, ensuring power availability for ongoing operations and experimentation.
Following the event, mission teams conducted a thorough assessment of the lander’s health and capability. While the initial impact introduced concerns about mechanical integrity, the emphasis shifted to preserving the mission’s scientific value and ensuring that critical systems could support continued analysis from the Moon. The incident underscored the challenges of lunar descent dynamics and highlighted the value of redundant measurement methods and adaptive software in space hardware programs.
The Odysseus mission stands as a testament to resilience in explorations of the Moon. Even in the face of an aggressive landing scenario, the team demonstrated the ability to adapt in real time, maintain essential function, and safeguard the payloads destined to advance lunar science. The overall result showed a successful preservation of core capabilities and the potential for further measurements and experiments at the Malapert A region of the Moon.