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First American Moon mission since Apollo era ends after lunar lander doesn't 'call home'

"Odie has permanently faded after cementing its legacy into history," Intuitive Machines said of its Moon lander. The IM-1 mission was the first private American Moon landing and the first U.S. mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

By Emilee Speck Source FOX Weather

NASA, Intuitive Machines provide update on Moon lander

Officials from NASA and Intuitive Machines gave an update on the status of the Odysseus lander that touched down on the Moon on Thursday.

HOUSTON – Intuitive Machines said its Moon lander Odie won't be completing another call to Earth after powering down, ending the first American mission to the lunar surface since 1972.

The Nova-C Moon lander nicknamed Odysseus or "Odie" by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines powered down on Feb. 29, a week after landing and operating near the lunar South Pole. Flight controllers put the robot to sleep as lunar night set, and the lander could not maintain power without sunlight. The hope was that Odie would survive the harsh temperatures and respond when sunlight returned to the shadowed region of the Moon. 

INTUITIVE MACHINES RETURNS AMERICA TO MOON’S SURFACE FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1972

On Saturday, Intuitive Machines said it had been listening for Odie's wake-up signal since March 20 with no luck.

"As of March 23rd at 1030 a.m. CST, flight controllers decided their projections were correct, and Odie’s power system would not complete another call home," the company wrote. "This confirms that Odie has permanently faded after cementing its legacy into history as the first commercial lunar lander to land on the Moon."

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This images taken about 30 meters from the Moon's surface shows Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander coming in at about 24,000 mph. (Image: Intuitive Machines) ( )

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Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander, also known as Odie, within the SpaceX Falcon 9 fairings. (Image: SpaceX) ( )

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Odysseus, the spacecraft built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, passes over the near side of the Moon following lunar orbit insertion on Feb. 21, 2024. (Intuitive Machines/X)

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Moon lander orientation ( )

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch pad LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center with the Intuitive Machines' Nova-C moon lander mission, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 15, 2024. The IM-1 mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to understand more about the Moon's surface ahead of the coming Artemis missions. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander would be the first US spacecraft to land on the moon in over 50 years. It is expected to land near the south pole of the moon on February 22. (Photo by Gregg Newton / AFP) (Photo by GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket soars into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center on the Intuitive Machines' Nova-C moon lander mission, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on February 15, 2024. The IM-1 mission is part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program to understand more about the Moon's surface ahead of the coming Artemis missions. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander would be the first US spacecraft to land on the moon in over 50 years. It is expected to land near the south pole of the moon on February 22. (Photo by Gregg Newton / AFP) (Photo by GREGG NEWTON/AFP via Getty Images) ( )

Intuitive Machines launched its lunar mission known as IM-1 on a SpaceX rocket on Feb. 15 as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) initiative. The mission carried six NASA science instruments and commercial technologies to the lunar South Pole region known as Malapert.

IM-1 was the second CLPS mission to launch this year but the first for Intuitive Machines. Another Moon lander mission by Pittsburgh company Astrobotics did not reach the lunar surface.

Odie arrived on the lunar surface after a nail-biting landing on Feb. 22. Flight controllers later learned the robotic lander had tipped over during the touchdown. However, the mission still provided power to all its NASA payloads and was deemed successful by the company and the U.S. space agency. 

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Intuitive Machines managers have said the data obtained during this first mission continues to be reviewed by engineering teams. 

The company is already planning another lunar mission known as IM-2.