A private lunar lander, named Odysseus, built and flown by Houston-based company Intuitive Machines, is expected to cease operations on Tuesday after landing sideways near the south pole of the moon. The spacecraft's mission was cut short when it landed too fast last Thursday, causing one of its legs to catch on the surface and tumble over.
Despite the unexpected landing, Odysseus managed to land within a mile of its intended target near the Malapert A crater, just 185 miles from the moon's south pole. The area is of particular interest due to suspected frozen water in the permanently shadowed craters there.
