The leg of the first private American spacecraft to land on the Moon broke after its landing. The company "Intuitive Machines," which designed the six-legged spacecraft, reported that it was on the verge of losing power, and it released new photos six days post the historic landing, showing a break in its leg. The company indicated that the lander arrived at high speed, slipped, and toppled onto its side when it landed near the Moon's south pole last Thursday, disrupting communications and leading to a near depletion of power. It was supposed to operate for at least a week.
The company's CEO, Steve Altemus, stated, "The lander, named 'Odyssey,' is still operational and generating power, but he expected it to stop working soon." He added, "When the end comes, we will wait from two to three weeks, and once the lunar night is over, we can attempt to regain contact." Meanwhile, the mission director, Tim Crain, noted that it is uncertain whether "Odyssey" will function, as the extreme cold during the lunar night could damage electronics and battery failure. He mentioned on his social media account "X": "The lunar night is no joke; imagine leaving your favorite electronic devices outside for 14 nights on the Antarctic continent."
It is worth noting that the "Odyssey" mission marks the first American landing on the Moon in over 50 years and the second under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.
