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Tipped-over Odysseus moon lander, spotted by lunar orbiter, sends back pictures
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted the tipped-over Odysseus lander on the surface of the moon, officials said Monday, confirming it touched down less than a mile from its planned landing site near the moon’s south pole.
Odysseus builder Intuitive Machines of Houston posted a picture captured by the lander during its final descent, along with a blurry shot apparently taken after touchdown, showing the rock-strewn surface immediately around the landing site.
“Odysseus continues to communicate with flight controllers in Nova Control from the lunar surface,” Intuitive Machines said on its website.
“After understanding the end-to-end communication requirements, Odysseus sent images from the lunar surface of its vertical descent to its Malapert A landing site, representing the furthest south any vehicle has been able to land on the moon and establish communication with ground controllers.”
Images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera confirmed Odysseus touched down at 80.13 degrees south latitude and 1.44 east longitude at an elevation of 1.6 miles, putting it within 5,000 feet of the landing site near a crater known as Malapert A.
NASA/Intuitive Machines
“After traveling more than 600,000 miles, Odysseus landed within (nine tenths of a mile) of its intended Malapert A landing site,” the company posted.
A second photograph showed the lunar terrain below Odysseus as the spacecraft descended straight down toward the moon, its fixed landing legs poised for touchdown.
Odysseus was launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Feb. 15 and landed at 6:24 p.m. EST last Thursday, becoming the first privately build spacecraft to successfully touch down on the moon and the first U.S. spacecraft of any kind to accomplish that feat in more than 50 years.
Intuitive Machines via AP
But the spacecraft was moving to one side slightly at the moment of touchdown. One of its six landing legs apparently dug in, or got caught on a rock or stuck in a crevice, causing the 14-foot-tall Odysseus to topple over on its side.
While the lander survived touchdown, antennas were not properly aimed at Earth and data transmission has been slower than expected. In any case, the spacecraft will only survive a few more days before the sun sets at the landing site, ending its ability to generate solar power.
Japan’s moon lander survives lunar night
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, meanwhile, reported Monday that flight controllers had managed to reestablish contact with their SLIM lunar lander, which touched down on the moon Jan. 19 and promptly tipped over on its nose. One of the probe’s two engines malfunctioned shortly before touchdown, producing an unbalanced thrust that caused it to hit the surface while still moving forward.
Engineers did not expect the solar-powered spacecraft to survive the lunar night, but flight controllers reported they were able to re-contact the lander over the weekend.
“SLIM successfully survived the night on the lunar surface while maintaining communication capabilities!” the space agency reported. “Last night, as it was still midday and the temperature of the communication equipment was extremely high, communication was terminated after only a short period of time.
“From now on, preparations will be made so that observations can be resumed once the temperature has cooled sufficiently.”
A photo from one of SLIM’s navigation cameras was posted on X showing the surrounding landscape.
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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