“Groundbreaking Achievement: Intuitive Machines Successfully Lands First Commercial Spacecraft on the Moon”

Intuitive Machines has achieved a monumental feat, becoming the first private company to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. The historic event was confirmed by flight controllers at 5:23 p.m. CST. However, the condition of the spacecraft is still uncertain as engineers work to refine their signal with the lander.

“What we can confirm without a doubt is that our equipment is on the surface of the moon and we are transmitting,” mission director and Intuitive Machines CTO Tim Crain said. “So congratulations IM team, we’ll see how much more we can get from that.”

“Houston, Odysseus has found its new home,” he added.

“What an outstanding effort,” CEO Steve Altemus said after the landing. “I know this was a nail biter but we are on the surface and we are transmitting. Welcome to the moon.”

Despite facing technical difficulties with the spacecraft’s laser range finders, which determine important variables like altitude and horizontal velocity, the company managed to successfully execute the landing. They relied on NASA’s laser and doppler lidar sensors to guide the spacecraft to the lunar surface.

This achievement marks the first time in almost fifty years that America has placed hardware on the moon. The landing site, just outside the rim of a crater known as Malapert-A, is the closest any lander has ever been to the lunar south pole. This area has sparked significant interest from both commercial companies and NASA, as it is being considered for a sustained human presence on the moon as part of the Artemis program.

Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based company, focuses on providing services on and around the moon, making it one of only a few companies in the world with such a goal. Along with lunar landers, the company is also developing technologies related to mobility, power, and data services for the moon. They believe that the lunar market, currently small and primarily funded by NASA, will continue to expand in the coming years.

This successful mission is a result of a NASA contract awarded under the agency’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. This program aims to promote commercial development of landers to deliver scientific and research payloads to the moon’s surface. Intuitive Machines’ contract is valued at just under $118 million.

“As we embark on our third planned mission, we have seen an increase in non-CLPS payloads from both domestic and international companies and institutions,” Josh Marshall, communications director of Intuitive Machines, shared.

The company’s success comes shortly after another CLPS awardee, Astrobotic, faced a failed mission when their lander was unable to reach the moon due to a catastrophic propulsion leak shortly after launch.

Relive the historic landing here: