Intuitive Machines’ stock fell greater than 30% after hours Friday after the space-exploration company said that its Odysseus lunar lander had fallen on its side while landing near the moon’s south pole, hampering its communications with Earth.
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Chief Executive Steve Altemus said Friday that Odysseus “caught a foot within the surface [of the moon] and tipped” on its side while touching down on Thursday, in line with the Associated Press.
While the spacecraft still has “quite a little bit of operational capability,” Altemus said a few of its antennas were pointed toward the moon’s surface, limiting its ability to speak with flight controllers and transmit data. He said the lander could have broken one in all its six legs after descending too fast, and was now possibly leaning against a rock.
The news sent Houston-based Intuitive Machines’ shares down 31.7% after hours, after they’d gained 15.8% in regular trading Friday on the back of Odysseus’ landing. The corporate had initially said that the spacecraft was upright Thursday when it became the primary business lander to successfully reach the moon, though the extent of that success could now be doubtful given the mission’s complications.
Odysseus — also the primary American spacecraft to succeed in the moon for the reason that Apollo 17 mission in 1972 — is carrying science and technology instruments on behalf of NASA. The space agency is sponsoring and supporting the mission, which launched on Feb. 15, because it seeks to return astronauts to the moon as soon as 2026 via its Artemis program.
Other business attempts at moon landings have also faced problems in recent times. In 2019, Israel’s Beresheet attempted to turn into the primary private lander on the lunar surface, but crashed during its landing attempt. 4 years later, Japan’s private Hakuto-R mission also failed to realize a “soft landing” on the moon.
Last month, private U.S.-based space company Astrobotic Technology ended its troubled mission to position its Peregrine lander on the moon.