--- title: "Private Lunar Lander Hits Unexpected Issues During White-Knuckles Descent" description: "As Intuitive Machines' lunar lander Odysseus makes its final approach to the Moon, not all is going according to plan." date: "2024-02-22" modified: "2024-02-22" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/odysseus-issues-descent" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "moon" - "NASA" - "odysseus" - "the digest" --- # Private Lunar Lander Hits Unexpected Issues During White-Knuckles Descent ![As Intuitive Machines' lunar lander Odysseus makes its final approach to the Moon, not all is going according to plan.]() *\Image: Intuitive Machines\* *Update: The lander has [successfully touched down on the lunar surface.]()* ## Final Countdown Things were looking promising as Intuitive Machines' NASA-sponsored lunar lander Odysseus [prepared for its final approach and touchdown]() on the Moon this week. In the final hour as the landing approaches, though, there are signs that things aren't going according to plan as the spacecraft hits unexpected issues. The first hint, [according to *CNN*](), came on the company's livestream as a spokesperson announced that the descent wouldn't go according to plan as it skipped its 10-second "deorbit insertion" burn. "This is a dynamic situation," said NASA communication manager Gary Jordan. "We'll update you later in the broadcast." ## Impact Statement More unexpected drama became apparent when the company revealed that there was a problem with the Odysseus lander's navigation system. Instead of using the equipment it had planned on, it'll be forced to rely on an experimental NASA payload that had been intended as a proof of concept, but will now be taking center stage. "Intuitive Machines made the decision to reassign the primary navigation sensors from Odysseus... to use the sensors on NASA's Navigation Doppler Lidar," the company said, per *CNN*. NASA head Bill Nelson weighed in as well. "It’s white-knuckle time," he told *CNN*'s Jake Tapper. "Their ability to land is not with the radar, but with light pulses called Lidar — and it is on the blink." ## Stake Dinner The stakes couldn't be higher. If the lander touches down successfully, it'll be the first commercial spacecraft ever to do so — and the first American craft to land on the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972. It may well succeed. But as some observers are pointing out, its namesake — the Greek mythological hero known for his incredibly arduous journey home — might not be entirely auspicious. "Good luck to the lunar lander but if I were building something to make a direct trip without any issues I would not name it Odysseus," [quipped]() *Defector* editor Barry Petchesky. **More on the Moon:** [*SpaceX Launches Private Moon Lander*]() ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()