Odysseus transmits first pictures after lunar landing

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The Odysseus lander transmitted its initial pictures from the moon on Monday, five days after becoming the first U.S. spacecraft make a soft landing on the lunar surface since 1972.

The craft's builder, Intuitive Machines, posted the images on the X social media platform while hailing their achievement in setting the craft down within a mile of its targeted landing site near the lunar south pole.

"After traveling more than 600,000 miles, Odysseus landed within 1.5 [kilometers] of its intended Malapert A landing site, using a contingent laser range-finding system patched hours before landing," the company said.

Odysseus overcame potential communications problems following its historic landing on the lunar surface at approximately 6:23 p.m. ET on Thursday.

With the data link established, the module used NASA's Deep Space Network antenna array to send the first pictures back to Earth. Its position so far south means it takes longer to transmit data, but the region was chosen due to its potential for scientific benefits.

The lunar south pole is "an area that contains permanently shadowed regions that may be rich in resources, including water ice that could be used for future propulsion and life support on the moon," Intuitive Machines wrote.

Flight controllers "intend to collect data until the lander's solar panels are no longer exposed to light," the company said. "Based on Earth and moon positioning, we believe flight controllers will continue to communicate with Odysseus until Tuesday morning."