NASA and Intuitive Machines share first images from Moon

NASA and Intuitive Machines shared a status update on the six NASA instruments that collected data on the IM-1 mission. Carrying NASA payloads to the Moon, the private company's uncrewed lunar lander, called Odysseus, touched down on the lunar surface at 5:23 p.m. CST on Thursday, February 22, marking America's first return to the Moon since the Apollo 17 mission.

All NASA payloads that were designed to operate on the lunar surface have received data. The above image shared by Intuitive Machines shows the Odysseus lander making its first contact with the lunar surface while the spacecraft's descent engine was throttling.

The Odysseus lunar lander continues to generate solar power on the Moon, allowing flight controllers to continue gathering data from the lunar south pole in furtherance of the IM-1 Mission objectives, Intuitive Machines said in a statement issued on Wednesday, adding that flight controllers are analyzing new solar charging data and using the additional time to maximize tasks that further future exploration.

Image Thread: The IM-1 Mission successfully landed the first spacecraft on the Moon's south pole region, marking the United States' first return since Apollo 17 and the first commercial lunar lander to transmit valuable science data of each NASA payload from the lunar surface. In… pic.twitter.com/kZnhOxTtXS

— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 28, 2024