Private US moon lander still working after breaking leg and falling, but not for long
Time:2024-04-30 14:31:34 Source:entertainmentViews(143)
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first private U.S. spacecraft to land on the moon broke a leg at touchdown before falling over, according to company officials who said Wednesday it was on the verge of losing power.
Intuitive Machines, the company that built the lander, released new photos Wednesday, six days after the landing, that showed at least one broken leg on the six-legged spacecraft. The lander came in too fast, skidded and tumbled over as it touched down near the moon’s south pole last Thursday, hampering communications and power. It was supposed to operate for at least a week.
CEO Steve Altemus said the lander, named Odysseus, was still alive and generating solar power but expected to go silent soon. Late Wednesday night, the company said the lander might linger into Thursday.
When the end comes, Altemus said, flight controllers would “tuck Odie in for the cold night of the moon” so in two to three weeks, once lunar night lifts, they can try to regain contact.
You may also like
- Chinese military ready to boost ties with Indonesian counterpart: defense spokesperson
- Man fleeing cops in western Michigan dies after unmarked cruiser hits him
- Meta's newest AI model beats some peers. But its amped
- Woman, 26, who shed 70lbs reveals the surprising ways weight loss has transformed her life
- Goodbye to Scotland's answer to Liz Truss: How Sturgeon's short
- Princess Amalia of The Netherlands, 20, who fled to Spain for a year after kidnap threats
- A former Maldives president is freed after a high court throws out his 11
- Meet TikTok's NEWEST queen bee Leah Halton: Stunning Australian model, 23, is set to become the most
- Democratic mayor joins Kentucky GOP lawmakers to celebrate state funding for Louisville