By Vivek Dubey
CNBC-TV18.com
Published Feb 23, 2024
A private lander made the first US moon landing in over 50 years, despite weak initial signal.
Intuitive Machines confirmed the craft landed upright, but provided no further details.
This landing marks the first US return to the lunar surface since NASA’s Apollo missions.
Intuitive Machines is the first private business to achieve a lunar landing.
Astrobotic Technology, another US company, attempted but failed to reach the moon.
Astrobotic was among the first to congratulate Intuitive Machines on their achievement.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson commended Intuitive Machines for acing the landing.
The lander’s laser navigation system failed, causing stress before touchdown.
The lander, named Odysseus, descended from a moon-skimming orbit towards the surface.
Controllers anxiously awaited a signal from the spacecraft, which came after 15 minutes.
The lander carried six experiments for NASA, part of a $118 million project.
Intuitive Machines’ landing follows attempts by other countries and private outfits.
The US left the lunar landscape in 1972 after NASA’s Apollo program.
The landing site was 186 miles shy of the south pole, surrounded by potential water sources
The lander carried items from Columbia Sportswear, sculptor Jeff Koons, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.