Will they or won't they?

[Topper]

It is forty years since Americans last landed on the moon

Tomorrow it may happen again

 

[Channel Hopper]

Land, almost certainly.

In one piece ?

 

[Topper]

Houston-based Intuitive Machines says its Odysseus lander touched down on the moon today, becoming the first U.S.-built spacecraft to stick a moon landing in more than 50 years and the first ever by a private company.

After some adjustments in the final hours, touchdown was expected at 6:24 p.m. EST, but mission control in Houston was left in suspense for almost 15 minutes while it awaited confirmation signals from the spacecraft.

Finally, at 6:37 p.m. ET, mission control announced: "We can confirm, without a doubt, our equipment is on the surface of the moon and we are transmitting." The lander's condition, however, was not yet clear.

"Today, for the first time in more than a half century, the U.S. has returned to the moon," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said once the landing was confirmed. "Today, for the first time in the history of humanity, a commercial company — an American company — launched and led the voyage up there. And today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA's commercial partnerships."

One day after braking into an orbit tilted 80 degrees to the moon's equator, Odysseus began a slow descent toward a point near the landing site some 186 miles from the moon's south pole.


The start of the descent was delayed about two hours after Intuitive Machines opted to keep Odysseus up for an additional orbit, switching the lander to a different set of navigation sensors.

Full story

 

[Terryl]

As long as they didn't land in my vacation cabins back yard it's a good thing for the US to start looking into going back to the Moon.

They should of had bases on the moon back in the 80"s, but congress put their foot in it.

 

[Channel Hopper]

They should of had bases on the moon back in the 80"s, but congress put their foot in it.

That's what congress want you to think.

 

[Analoguesat]

It fell over during the landing. Second consecutive lander to topple over!:

Intuitive Machines: Odysseus Moon lander 'tipped over on touchdown'

The history-making robot likely caught its foot on contact with the lunar surface and fell sideways.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Lazarus]

So, one in the eye for the "flat mooners".

 

[PaulR]

Like this?

 

[Analoguesat]

Odysseus broke a leg on landing which is why it fell over

Intuitive Machines: Moon lander pictured on its side with snapped leg

The Odysseus robot broke a leg on touchdown but continued to stream data back to Earth

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Lazarus]

We've all been there ......

 

[csb25]

"That's no moon. It's a space station." - Obi Wan Kenobi.