Lunar lander is on its side but still functional, officials say

One day after the historic landing, the first private spacecraft on the moon is in good condition but has fallen over, the company that built it said Friday.

The spacecraft, named Odysseus, landed in the moon’s south polar region on Thursday evening, becoming the first American vehicle to soft-land on the moon since Apollo 17 in 1972.

Initially, Intuitive Machines, which built Odysseus, said the craft had landed upright, but subsequent analysis of the data showed it had come to rest at an angle. That means the spacecraft’s antennas are not pointed at Earth, limiting the amount of data that can be sent back and forth.

Odysseus has not been able to send back any photos since landing. Intuitive engineers are still trying to extract more information from the spacecraft.

“The vehicle is stable near or at the intended landing site,” Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus said Friday during a NASA news conference. “We do have communication with the lander.”

He added: “That’s phenomenal for starters.”

But he and Tim Crain, the chief technology officer, also described unforeseen problems that nearly doomed the mission. The landing was saved by serendipity and hectic work, they said.

This development story will be updated.