Odysseus craft touches down, becoming first U.S. lunar landing in decades

Russia's Roscosmos attempted a landing last year, though its Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Terran satellite.

By Ben Whedon

Published: February 22, 2024 6:45pm

The Odysseus landing craft on Thursday touched down on the moon's surface, marking the first American lunar landing in decades.

NASA broadcast the landing live on its website.

Created by Intuitive Machines, the craft was launched in a SpaceX rocket last Thursday, The Hill reported. The autonomous lander's mission is part of a string of private operations intended to prepare for NASA's Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon.

Humans last set foot on the moon in 1972 as part of the U.S.'s Apollo program. While no other nation has replicated that feat, other nations have attempted lunar missions in recent years. India, for example, successfully landed a rover on the moon last year.

Russia's Roscosmos attempted a similar mission days ahead of India's landing, though its Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the Terran satellite.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.