‘Goodnight, Odie’: Historic Odysseus Lunar Lander Sends Moving Farewell Picture Before Powering Down on the Moon’s South Pole
Odysseus has gone to sleep. After its heroic mission that returned America to the moon after half a century, the Nova-C moon lander has powered down, and it’s widely expected to have ended its work.
Spacecraft have limited lifespans, even when everything goes according to plan, which was hardly the case in this odyssey, as the lander ‘faced more than its share of difficulties’.
‘Odie’ has now gone dark on the surface of the moon, but before it did, it sent back a goodbye image ‘that summarizes the joys and heartbreak of space exploration’.
Forbes reported:
“Odysseus — operated by Texas-based Intuitive Machines — made a triumphant touchdown on February 22,