In a significant milestone for the space industry, Intuitive Machines, an American private company, achieved the first moon landing by a U.S. device in over 50 years. The Nova-C lander, carrying NASA scientific instruments, landed on the Moon at 23:23 UTC.
Despite challenges with malfunctioning lasers, a backup solution involving a NASA instrument ensured a successful landing.
Intuitive Machines confirmed the probe’s upright position and data transmission. The autonomous final descent included a unique moment captured by a camera-equipped craft ejected from the lander.