You are under supervision if you can see the tipsy lunar lander lying on its side within 30 seconds

THE Nova-C Odysseus lunar lander has sent its first photos of the moon’s surface back to Earth – but can you spot it among the craters?

Odysseus, the first private spacecraft to land on the moon, landed five days ago but ended up tripping over its own feet and falling on its side.

Intuitive Machines boss Steve Altemus, whose company built and operated the lander, said: “The vehicle is stable close to or at the intended landing site. We have communication with the lander.’

Japan’s lunar lander experienced a similarly awkward landing when it landed on its nose a month ago.

Intuitive Machines executives believe the spacecraft’s forward speed during landing, about twice as fast as expected, may have been a factor in Odysseus’s stumble.

Based on the positioning of the Earth and moon, we believe flight controllers will continue to communicate with Odysseus until Tuesday morning.

Intuitive machines

Odysseus’s sideways position has significantly limited the ability of the solar panels to capture sunlight and charge the batteries, but has also made him more difficult to spot.

While two antennas pointed towards the ground, limiting communication with Earth.

The slow death imposed on the lander by the incorrectly placed solar panels is reminiscent of the demise of the American spacecraft Peregrine.

Now control engineers expect to lose contact with Odysseus, aborting the mission just days after landing.

In an update posted online Monday, the Houston-based company said: “Flight controllers plan to collect data until the lander’s solar panels are no longer exposed to light.

“Based on the positioning of the Earth and moon, we believe flight controllers will continue to communicate with Odysseus until Tuesday morning.”

Once on the surface, Odysseus was initially scheduled to operate for two weeks – or one lunar night.

Odysseus’s position makes the lander difficult to spot on the lunar surface, alongside a large number of craters, shadows and debris.

2