In Houston, Texas, the Intuitive Machines’ Odysseus moon lander encountered a unexpected mishap as it descended onto the lunar surface on Thursday. The spacecraft came down faster than anticipated and veered slightly off course during touchdown, causing it to tip over onto its side, according to officials on Friday.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, the CEO and co-founder of Intuitive Machines, Steve Altemus, reassured that Odysseus remains operational. The spacecraft is still able to draw power from the sun and transmit engineering and science data back to Earth, even though its orientation is currently unclear.

Engineers are actively working to download data from the spacecraft and are hopeful to share images in the coming days to clarify the situation. Meanwhile, all active instruments onboard Odysseus are operational and should be able to fulfill their intended data collection tasks, albeit with some delay due to the spacecraft’s tilted position.

The successful landing of Odysseus marks a significant achievement, as it becomes the first U.S. soft landing on the moon since 1972. The mission also sets a milestone as the first successful commercial organization to land safely on the moon, positioning itself closer to the moon’s south pole than any previous U.S. missions.

NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration, Joel Kearns, commended Intuitive Machines for achieving these three major accomplishments. This achievement is crucial for NASA’s future plans, as the agency aims to send Artemis astronauts to the south polar region in the coming years for exploration and potentially the discovery of ice deposits.

President Joe Biden also acknowledged the milestone in a statement, emphasizing the collaborative efforts of NASA and the Intuitive Machines team. The successful landing of Odysseus is a testament to America’s commitment to scientific innovation and exploration beyond our planet.

Odysseus was partially funded by NASA’s Commercial Lunar Services Payloads program, which supports private industry in developing transportation capabilities for lunar missions. The mission faced challenges during its descent, but thanks to a NASA payload designed to test navigation sensors, the spacecraft was able to make necessary adjustments and achieve a successful landing.

The incident highlights the risks involved in landing on unknown lunar terrain and the complexities of autonomous navigation in such environments. Despite the setback, the Odysseus mission team remains optimistic about achieving its objectives, with the hope of still fulfilling most of its scientific goals.

As efforts continue to analyze data and assess the spacecraft’s condition, there is optimism that Odysseus will provide valuable insights and data from the lunar surface. The mission represents a significant step forward in NASA’s exploration endeavors and sets the stage for future lunar missions and scientific discoveries.