Which company operated the first private lunar lander to complete a soft landing on the Moon?

Intuitive Machines operated the first private lunar lander to complete a soft landing on the Moon.

The company’s Odysseus lander touched down near the lunar south pole on February 22, 2024, during the IM-1 mission. The landing was performed under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative, which purchases lunar delivery services from private companies rather than building every lander directly.

Odysseus carried NASA instruments and other payloads. It became the first American spacecraft to land softly on the Moon since 1972 and the first commercial spacecraft to accomplish a soft lunar landing. The vehicle tipped onto its side after landing, but its payloads still transmitted useful data.

Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander launched before Odysseus but suffered a propulsion problem and did not land. Japan’s ispace also attempted a private lunar landing with Hakuto-R, which was unsuccessful in 2023.