Odysseus became the first commercial spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon in February 2024.
Intuitive Machines built Odysseus, also called IM-1, for NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. The lander launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Florida on February 15, 2024, and reached the Moon eight days later.
Odysseus landed near the Moon’s south polar region on February 22. It tipped onto its side after catching a landing leg on the surface, but it continued transmitting useful data. The mission marked the first U.S. lunar landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.
Odysseus is often described as the first private or commercial lunar lander to achieve a soft landing. Earlier private missions, including Israel’s Beresheet and Japan’s Hakuto-R, attempted lunar landings but did not complete them successfully.