Page 14 - Tim Crain News Today

The private Odysseus lander touched down near the moons south pole this evening (Feb. 22), etching its name into the history books with a nail-biting descent.

The mission saw the colaboration of a number of companies including Elon Musk's SpaceX and NASA. It marks the the first successful US landing on the moon since the height of the Cold War Space Race

A spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based company Intuitive Machines landed near the moons south pole on Thursday, the first U.S. touchdown on the lunar surface in more than half a century and the first ever achieved by the private sector.

For the first time, a spacecraft built by a private company is operating on the moon – a long-anticipated feat that promises to draw the Earth’s vast and remote natural satellite into the domain of space commerce

A private lander on Thursday made the first U.S. touchdown on the moon in more than 50 years, but managed just a weak signal back as flight controllers scrambled to gain better contact.

America returned to the Moon on Thursday with the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lander touching down near the unexplored region of the lunar South Pole.

Private lander makes first US moon landing in more than 50 years

Intuitive Machines has landed its Odysseus spacecraft on the moon, making it the first private company to achieve a feat previously only accomplished by national space agencies

There was no immediate word from Intuitive Machines, the company that built and managed the craft, on the condition – or even the exact location – of the lander.

There were no immediate updates on the lander’s condition from the company, Intuitive Machines.